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Human Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Comparison with Change in α‐Fetoprotein
Author(s) -
Mendenhall Charles L.,
Roos Filip,
Moritz Thomas E.,
Roselle Gary A.,
Chedid Antonio,
Grossman Charles J.,
Rouster Susan D.,
Bennett Gregory L.,
Lake John R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1996.tb01708.x
Subject(s) - alcoholic hepatitis , hepatocyte growth factor , medicine , alcoholic liver disease , ascites , gastroenterology , cirrhosis , hepatic encephalopathy , hepatitis , hepatocyte , bilirubin , liver disease , pathology , biology , biochemistry , receptor , in vitro
To evaluate the hepatic regenerative response in patients with alcoholic liver disease, sera from 263 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis and/or cirrhosis were analyzed for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and α‐fetoprotein (AFP). HGF concentration was elevated above healthy controls in 95% of the patients (median level = 2.4 ng/ml), whereas AFP tended to be depressed below controls (median level = 4.1 ng/ml). Correlations with parameters of liver injury (i.e., ascites, encephalopathy, AST bilirubin, and protime) all showed a more significant correlation with HGF concentrations than those of AFP. Patients with HGF levels below the mean (4 ng/ml) exhibited significantly better survival (median survival = 35 months vs. 8.5 months for those with HGF ≥4 ng/ml; p = 0.007). Serum HGF levels were associated with various specific histologic features of alcoholic hepatitis that included, but were not exclusively related to, necrosis.