Hepatocyte growth factor and digital clubbing.
The cause of digital clubbing is unknown. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleotrophic factor which has various biological effects. We measured serum HGF in 12 patients with digital clubbing; the underlying diseases of these patients were: lung cancer, 2; cystic fibrosis, 2; idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 3; lung cancer with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 1; chronic hepatitis, 1; interstitial pneumonia with collagen disease, 2; and bronchiectasis, 1; nine hundred and fifty-seven normal volunteers and 17 lung cancer patients without clubbing served as the control. As a result, the serum HGF concentration in patients with digital clubbing (0.47 +/- 0.29 ng/ml) was significantly higher when compared to that of lung cancer patients without digital clubbing (0.15 +/- 0.04, p < 0.01). Therefore, we suggest that HGF may play a role in the formation of digital clubbing.
Hojo
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical University.
Fujita
J
J
Yamadori
I
I
Ezaki
T
T
Watanabe
S
S
Yamanouchi
H
H
Miyawaki
H
H
Yamaji
Y
Y
Nishioka
M
M
Takahara
J
J
D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010005:Osteoarthropathy, Secondary Hypertrophic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor