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Serum active hepatocyte growth factor (AHGF) in benign prostatic disease and prostate cancer
Author(s) -
Yasuda Kenji,
Nagakawa Osamu,
Akashi Takuya,
Fujiuchi Yasuyoshi,
Koizumi Keiichi,
Komiya Akira,
Saiki Ikuo,
Fuse Hideki
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.20890
Subject(s) - hepatocyte growth factor , medicine , prostate cancer , prostate , cancer , adenocarcinoma , endocrinology , gastroenterology , receptor
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. Prostate 69:346–351, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.