Expression of hepatocyte growth factor in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims: We have shown that hepatocyte growth factor, secreted by h uman liver myofibroblasts, promoted in vitro invasion of human hepatocellul ar carcinoma cell lines. The aim of this work was to measure hepatocyte gro wth factor expression in 29 human hepatocellular carcinomas and the corresp onding peri-tumoral livers. Methods: We used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in situ h ybridization, ELISA and Western blot. Results: Sixty-two of tested hepatocellular carcinomas were positive by rev erse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. With in situ hybridization, a signal was found in every sample. In many cases, the signal was localized in cells labeled with an anti-smooth muscle alpha -actin antibody, while he patocytes were mostly non-labeled. ELISA, performed in 15 pairs of hepatoce llular carcinomas and surrounding livers, detected hepatocyte growth factor in every sample with wide variations. Hepatocellular carcinomas that had d eveloped in non-cirrhotic livers contained essentially the same amount of h epatocyte growth factor as the matching non-tumoral liver, In cirrhotic liv ers, the hepatocyte growth factor content of the tumors was significantly l ower than that of the surrounding cirrhotic livers. Conclusions: These data indicate that hepatocyte growth factor is expressed at significant levels in every hepatocellular carcinoma tested and that it s expression takes place in the stromal myofibroblasts. (C) 2001 European A ssociation for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.