Serum active hepatocyte growth factor (AHGF) in benign prostatic disease and prostate cancer.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is secreted as an inactive single-chain precursor called pro-HGF. Pro-HGF is converted to an active two-chain form by HGF activator and matriptase. We attempted to clarify whether serum levels of active HGF (AHGF) could be used as a marker of prostate cancer.

METHODS:

Serum levels of AHGF and total HGF (THGF; pro-HGF + AHGF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 38 patients with benign prostatic disease and 160 patients with prostate cancer.

RESULTS:

Serum levels of AHGF in patients with untreated prostate cancer (0.37 +/- 0.12 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those in patients with benign prostatic disease (0.28 +/- 0.08 ng/ml) (P = 0.0001). Serum AHGF levels were increased in patients with stage D or D3 compared with stage B. In addition, there were significant differences in serum AHGF levels between patients with well-differentiated and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the mean serum AHGF/THGF ratio in patients with stage D3 prostate cancer was significantly higher than that in patients with stage B.

CONCLUSIONS:

AHGF may be a potential tumor marker for prostate cancer. Further studies in large groups of patients are needed to define the clinical value of AHGF.

• Authors: Kenji Yasuda, Osamu Nagakawa, Takuya Akashi, Yasuyoshi Fujiuchi, Keiichi Koizumi, Akira Komiya, Ikuo Saiki, Hideki Fuse
• Journal: The Prostate (Prostate) Vol. 69 Issue 4 Pg. 346-51 (Mar 01 2009) ISSN: 1097-0045 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19021204 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory
• SPINT1 protein, human
• Hepatocyte Growth Factor

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (blood)
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Disease Progression
• Hepatocyte Growth Factor (blood)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Prostatic Diseases (blood)
• Prostatic Neoplasms (blood)
• Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory (blood)
• Retrospective Studies