diagnostic and prognostic value of serum hepatocyte growth factor during acute myocardial infarction

Hepatocyte growth factor [HGF] is a mesenchyme derived growth factor originally identified in the plasma of partially hepatectomized rats and later isolated from rat platelets and human plasma HGF has marked and varied ejects on epithelial cells, endothelial cells and other cell types including morphogenic and mitogenic activity. Plasma HGF concentration has been reported to be increased in response to tissue damage such as liver and kidney diseases. HGF also act as a growth factor for vascular tissues, and its mitogenic activity is the most potent among various known growth factors. Plasma HGF concentrations are reported to be increased in cardiovascular diseases such as acute myocardial infarction. It has been found that HGF can induce angiogenesis in ischemia diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical significance of circulating HGF in patients with acute myocardial infarction to fulfill this aim we studied 25 patients with acute myocardial infarction [acute MI] and 10 normal control subjects. All studied cases underwent thorough clinical examination and laboratory Investigations as blood picture, liver function, kidney function tests and abdominal sonogram. Specific tests necessitate venous blood samples drawn from the infarct patients at 1,7,14, 21 days after the onset of MI to measure serum HGF, plasma C-reactive protein and creatine phosphokinase. Also, echocardiogram to calculate left ventricular mass and to assess left ventricular end diastolic volume changes as a reflexion of ventricular dilatation at day 1 and 3 weeks after MI. Echocardiograms were done only for patients group. We excluded any patient suffering from liver disease, renal diseases, systemic illness or malignancy. Our results showed that serum HGF values within seven days were significantly higher than those of control subjects and decreased by day 14 and there were significant correlation between plasma creatinine phosphokinase and serum HGF on day 1; and also between C reactive protein and serum HGF. Also, we found that, serum HGF was high in patients with progression of ventricular enlargement in the course of acute myocardial infarction. So, we conclude that early serum HGF concentration reflect the extent of myocardial damage in acute myocardial infarction patients. Inflammation after acute MI is supposed to be involved in enhanced HGF production. Also, HGF may play an important role in ventricular remodelling after acute MI