Increased Levels of Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Patients with DIC.

Injury of endothelial cells has been postulated as an initial trigger of the progression of DIC. Although hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a member of endothelium-specific growth factor, the relationship between HGF and DIC has not been described. To investigate the role of HGF, we measured plasma levels of HGF in patients with sepsis-associated (n=20) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)-induced DIC (n=6). Plasma samples from those patients groups were assayed for HGF levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELIZA, TECHNE Corporation, USA). The VEGF levels were determined by one-step sandwich enzyme immunoassay (EIA, Chemicon International, USA).

The thrombin antithrombin complexes (TAT) levels were higher in both DIC patients as reported by others. In the septic patients with DIC, we found significant elevations in HGF levels compared to normal controls. Also, the HGF levels were elevated in the APL patients with DIC. However, we did not find any difference in plasma levels of VEGF in the APL and septic patients with DIC. There was a slight correlation between the TAT and HGF levels in both (septic and APL) patients groups with DIC. These results suggest that plasma levels of HGF may be candidates for a marker of DIC. It appears that HGF may contribute to the severity of DIC.