Serum hepatocyte growth factor levels in patients with chronic renal disease - effect of GFR and pathogenesis

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a growth-promoting peptide that appears t o act in a renotropic and nephroprotective manner during acute renal damage . Recent studies suggest that HGF is also of importance in chronic renal di seases. The serum HGF level is correlated with serum creatinine. and it has been suggested that glomerular and tubular diseases affect serum HGF diffe rently. In the present study, levels of serum HGF were determined and corre lated to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in I IS patients with various chr onic renal diseases. GFR was determined by Tc-99m-DTPA clearance, and the G FR values were evenly distributed in the interval 5-155mL/min/1.73 m(2). Se rum HGF levels increased slightly with decreasing GFR; the Pearson correlat ion coefficient being 0.49 (p < 0.0001). In 21 additional patients with end -stage renal disease treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis . there was a more marked increase in the serum levels of HGF. The effect o f glomerular and tubular diseases on serum HGF was examined by comparing th e HGF levels in two groups of patients with similar GFR values: 57 patients with mainly glomerular disorders (diabetic nephropathy with micro- or macr oalbuminuria or glomerulonephritis) and 14 patients with mainly tubular dis orders (polycystic kidney disease). There was no significant difference bet ween the HGF levels of the two groups (p = 0.30). In conclusion: Serum HGF levels are correlated with GFR (for GFR greater than or equal to 5 mL/min/1 .73 m(2)) in patients with chronic renal diseases. and glomerular and tubul ar disorders seem to affect the HGF level similarly.