Serum concentrations of human hepatocyte growth factor is a useful indicator for predicting the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinomas in C-viral chronic liver diseases.

BACKGROUND

Numerous reports have examined the relationship between hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and either the facilitation or suppression of the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

In this study, we measured serum HGF concentrations of blood samples and conducted prospective studies to examine the long-term outcome of C-viral chronic hepatitis (CH) and cirrhosis in patients. The subjects examined in this study include 99 patients with C-viral CH, cirrhosis, and HCC. The serum HGF level was measured in blood samples within 48 hours of collection using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.

RESULTS

The serum concentrations of HGF were significantly higher in patients with HCC than in patients with CH or cirrhosis. The detection rate of HGF and its mean serum level were significantly higher in patients with a low platelet count than in patients with a high platelet count. All of the patients with serum HGF concentrations of more than 0.6 ng/mL had HCC, irrespective of the levels of alpha-fetoprotein, vitamin K absence, or antagonist-II in the blood. Serum HGF concentrations increased concomitantly with increases in areas occupied by HCC. The cumulative incidence of occurrence of HCC was significantly higher in patients with high HGF concentrations than in patients with low HGF concentrations. Multivariate analysis revealed that the elevation in serum HGF level is the most important risk factor for the occurrence of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

The serum level of HGF represents the degree of the carcinogenic state in the liver of patients with C-viral CH and cirrhosis. Therefore, the determination of serum HGF concentrations may be useful as a third tumor marker of HCC in detection as well as follow-up therapy.