Elevation of serum human hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) level in patients with pneumonectomy during a perioperative period.
OBJECTIVE
Proliferation of alveolar type II cells is thought to be critical for the restoration of lung function after diffuse alveolar damage or pneumonectomy. However, the factors that regulate alveolar type II cell proliferation, and the mechanism that brings about compensatory lung growth are not well understood. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to have hepatotrophic and nephrotrophic functions for regeneration of the liver and kidney. We have attempted to investigate the involvement of HGF in lung regeneration after lung resection.


METHODS
A prospective, controlled study.


METHODS
Adult surgical patients in a university hospital.


METHODS
We measured serum HGF levels in eight patients undergoing major lung resection, and in five patients undergoing mastectomy as controls, by using radioimmunoassay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
In all cases of pneumonectomy, the serum HGF levels increased 3- to 5-fold at 1-3 days (with a peak at 3 days) after operation, and then decreased to nearly basal levels in 2 weeks. However, these levels in patients undergoing mastectomy did not change much over the first 2 weeks, postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum HGF levels increased in patients after major lung resection, which suggests that HGF might play an important role in lung regeneration or compensatory lung growth in humans.
Sugahara
K
K
Department of Anesthesiology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Matsumoto
M
M
Baba
T
T
Nakamura
T
T
Kawamoto
T
T
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor