Gene expressions of c-met and hepatocyte growth factor in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The roles of c-met proto-oncogene and hepatocyte growth factor in human livers have not been shown.


METHODS
Gene expressions of both c-met and hepatocyte growth factor were quantified in livers with chronic active hepatitis and in cirrhotic livers with hepatocellular carcinoma as well as in normal controls, using competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
C-met expression was significantly increased in chronic active hepatitis compared with control livers, and c-met expression in chronic active hepatitis correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase levels. Hepatocyte growth factor expression was increased in some patients with chronic active hepatitis compared with controls, and there was a significant correlation between c-met expression and hepatocyte growth factor expression. On the other hand, in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, c-met expression was increased in some cases, while that in the surrounding non-carcinomatous tissues was similar to normal controls. Hepatocyte growth factor expression was not detected in the hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and was low in the surrounding non-carcinomatous tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that hepatocyte growth factor may be involved in the regeneration of hepatocytes via paracrine mechanism in chronic active hepatitis, while in regulation of c-met expression in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues may be independent of hepatocyte growth factor stimulation.
Noguchi
O
O
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
Enomoto
N
N
Ikeda
T
T
Kobayashi
F
F
Marumo
F
F
Sato
C
C
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases