title: Elevated serum concentrations of hepatocyte growth factor in patients with multiple myeloma. The Nordic Myeloma Study Group.
abstract: Serum from 398 myeloma patients at diagnosis and serial samples from 29 patients were analysed for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). HGF was elevated at diagnosis in 43% of myeloma patients compared with healthy controls (median 1.00 ng/mL and 0.44 ng/mL, respectively; P < .00001). In the group with elevated HGF levels 46% of the patients reached plateau phase, as compared with 60% of the patients with low HGF levels (P = .005), and the median survival time was 21 and 32 months, respectively (P = .002). In a univariate Cox regression analysis, HGF was a significant predictor of mortality (P = .02). In the subgroup of patients with beta 2-microglobulin levels less than or equal to 6 mg/L, high versus low HGF was a prognostic factor when a multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed. In serial samples HGF was higher at the time of diagnosis and relapse (median 0.57 ng/mL and 0.52 ng/mL, respectively; P = .0018) than at response (median 0.24 ng/mL, P = .008). We conclude that HGF may be a useful follow-up parameter in myeloma patients. Measurement of HGF may identify a group of patients with poor response to melphalan-prednisone treatment and short survival. HGF was a prognostic factor in patients with high levels of beta 2-microglobulin.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Børset
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Turesson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abildgaard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sundan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waage
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D008558:Melphalan; D011241:Prednisone