title: Hepatocyte growth factor as a potential predictor of the presence of atherosclerotic aorto-iliac artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a member of the endothelial-specific growth factors with the greatest mitogenic activity, may play a role in the protection and/or repair of vascular endothelial cells injured by atherosclerosis. As a result, plasma HGF concentration may increase in response to endothelial cell damage. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma concentrations of HGF in patients with or without aorto-iliac artery atherosclerotic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ten consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in this study. Abdominal aortography was performed after coronary arteriography to determine whether aorto-iliac artery atherosclerotic disease was present. Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained to measure the plasma HGF concentration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aortography revealed aorto-iliac atherosclerotic disease in 35 patients (32%). The plasma HGF concentration was significantly higher in patients with arteriosclerotic lesions (0.35 +/- 0.11 ng/mL) than in patients without atherosclerotic lesions (0.27 +/- 0.09 ng/mL, P =.0002). On the basis of multiple logistic regression analysis of the relationships between coronary risk factors, age, sex, severity of coronary artery disease, plasma HGF concentration, and the presence of arteriosclerotic lesions, plasma HGF concentration (P =.0005) and age (P =.035) were found to predict independently the presence of aorto-iliac arteriosclerosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma HGF concentration can be used to predict the presence of arteriosclerotic lesions in the region from the abdominal aorta to the femoral arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan. jun-t@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tateishi
authors.forename: Shinzou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waku
authors.forename: Motomaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masutani
authors.forename: Mitsumasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohyanagi
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor