Detection of serum and intrahepatic human hepatocyte growth factor in patients with type C liver diseases

We determined hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels in the serum and liver of patients with hepatitis C and assessed the relationship to histological findings of the liver and hepatitis C virus-related markers in the serum in patients with type C liver diseases. The subjects were 108 patients with c hronic hepatitis C (CH), 70 patients with liver cirrhosis C (LC), 38 patien ts with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 20 patients with acute hepatitis (AH). As normal controls 20 subjects were studied. The serum HGF levels we re measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Intrahepatic HG F was investigated by immunoperoxidase staining using monoclonal HGF antibo dy. The serum HGF level was highest in patients with AH. The serum HGF leve ls tended to be higher in patients with LC and HCC than those with CH. Furt her, the serum HGF level was related to the degree of intrahepatic inflamma tory cell infiltration and fibrosis, and intrahepatic HGF was noted primari ly in the cell membrane of mesenchymal cells in focal necrosis. The degree of intrahepatic HGF expression tended to be higher in patients with high se rum HGF levels. In patients with HCC, however, HGF showed little localizati on in cancer cells, but was noted in infiltrating mesenchymal cells in both cancerous and noncancerous regions. In conclusion, the measurement of seru m HGF levels may be useful for estimating the degree of intrahepatic inflam matory reaction and fibrosis. Although further study is necessary, the high serum level of HGF revealed high carcinogenic states in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis type C. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.