Clinical significance of serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the commonest primary malignant cancer of the liver in the world. This study was conducted to investigate the serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)in HCC patients and the relationship with tumor progression and known prognostic parameters. Fifty-four patients with HCC were investigated. Pretreatment HGF levels were employed the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique (ELISA). Age and sex matched 20 healthy controls were included in the analysis. The median age of the patients was 60 years (range 36-77 years); where males consistituted of majority of the group (88.8%). All of patients had cirrhotic history. Fourty-six percent (n = 25) of patients had Child-Pugh Score A, 30% (n = 16) had Score B or C. All of the patients were treated with local therapies but none of them received sorafenib. The baseline serum HGF levels were significantly higher in patients with HCC than in the control group (p < 0.001). Male patients had higher serum HGF levels compared with female patients (p = 0.01). Serum HGF levels were significantly higher in the patients with elevated serum ALT levels than others with normal serum ALT levels (p = 0.05). Poor performance status (p < 0.001), viral etiology of cirrhosis (p = 0.03), larger tumor size (p = 0.01), lower serum hemogloblin levels (p = 0.03), and not be treated for HCC (p = 0.001) related to worse survival. However, serum HGF did not have significantly adverse effect on survival (p = 0.58). Despite serum HGF levels were found diagnostic value, serum HGF levels had no prognostic value in patients with HCC.

Significance of Serum Hepatocyte Growth Factor Level in Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…This results in agreement with that reported by Karabulut et el. [8] who concluded that serum HGF levels were significant higher in patients with elevated serum ALT levels than others with normal ALT levels (P = 0.05) but in the other hand they found that no correlation between serum levels of HGF and MELD score (P = 0.09), which was in contrast to our results. This difference may be related to difference in patients criteria as the last study included HCV, HBV, alcoholic patients.…”

“…In the presence of liver cirrhosis, the functions of all these cells deteriorate, as do those of parenchymal cells. The mechanism of the high serum HGF level in liver disease could be a disorder of either production or elimination of HGF itself, but the role of HGF in liver disease is complicated and is not yet completely understood [8].…”

Utility of Hepatocyte Growth Factor as a Biomarker for Early Diagnosis of Pulmonary Artery Hypertension

“…Abnormal liver function may be another factor with an influence on HGF. The ALT levels we measured did not differ significantly between the four groups; however, patients with a higher mPAP were more likely to have complications with abnormal liver function and increased levels of ALT, which may upregulate serum HGF levels [22].…”

A phase I trial of escalating doses of cixutumumab (IMC-A12) and sorafenib in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

“…In resected HCC patients, high serum HGF levels denote a poor prognosis after hepatic resection [20]. In unresectable HCC, the HGF level has variably been associated with survival time [21, 22]. Moreover, it has recently been proposed that c-Met signaling cooperates with IGFR to increase tumor invasiveness through engagement of the urokinase plasminogen activator system [23, 24].…”