Hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor c-met in multiple myeloma.

We have examined whether the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-met receptor-ligand pair is expressed in freshly isolated and highly purified myeloma cells and whether HGF can be found in the sera of myeloma patients. Myeloma cells were purified with an immunomagnetic method using the syndecan 1-specific antibody B-B4. HGF and c-met mRNA in these cells were examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). HGF and c-met proteins were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot, respectively. Serum from 13 myeloma patients was obtained at diagnosis and the levels of HGF were determined by ELISA. HGF and c-met mRNA were expressed in all examined samples (n = 7). HGF was detected in the supernatants of 17 of 20 primary cultures of myeloma cells, whereas bone marrow mononuclear cells from normal controls did not produce detectable amounts of HGF (n = 3). The mean HGF level in serum of myeloma patients at diagnosis was more than fourfold higher than the mean level in normal controls. Possible implications of HGF/c-met expression for the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma are discussed.