[Significance of hepatocyte growth factor measurement in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

The use of hepatocyte growth factor for acute myocardial infarction was investigated. Several other biochemical markers are already used for noninvasive detection of acute myocardial infarction. Hepatocyte growth factor, creatine phosphokinase (CK) and CK isozyme (CK-MB) levels were measured in 10 patients with stable effort angina after diagnostic catheterization, and in 21 patients with acute myocardial infarction twice a day for the first 3 days and once a day for the next 4 days. The time to reach the maximum level and the time to decline to less than half of the maximum level for each patient was also measured. Hepatocyte growth factor levels (ng/ml) were 0.3 +/- 0.1 for patients with angina pectoris, and 10.4 +/- 8.8 within 6 hours and 6.7 +/- 4.5 within 12 hours after the onset for patients with acute myocardial infarction. The time to reach the maximum (hours) and the time to decline to less than half of the maximum level (days) were 9.2 +/- 5.2 and 1.1 +/- 0.3 for hepatocyte growth factor, 19.5 +/- 7.2 and 2.3 +/- 1.1 for CK and 16.3 +/- 7.2 and 1.5 +/- 0.4 for CK-MB, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the maximum level of hepatocyte growth factor and the maximum levels of CK and CK-MB were 0.64 and 0.70, respectively. Hepatocyte growth factor is useful as a prognostic indicator and reflects the clinical course in patients with acute myocardial infarction.