title: High serum hepatocyte growth factor level in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Higher pretreatment serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels were observed in patients with multiple myeloma and Hodgkin's disease, but not in those with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We examined patients' serum levels at diagnosis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and histological expression of HGF in pathological specimens of lymphoma, in relation to clinical features. The subjects were 77 NHL patients and 40 healthy controls. The serum levels of HGF in NHL patients at diagnosis were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (median 1019 vs. 689 pg/mL, P < 0.001). At diagnosis, patients with more than two sites of extranodal involvement (P = 0.001), higher scores of international prognostic index (P = 0.015), and advanced Ann Arbor stage (P = 0.023) had a higher level of serum HGF. Although the association of pretreatment serum HGF level and survival was not significant, a correlation of serial change of serum HGF levels with treatment response was found in limited cases. Furthermore, HGF expression of lymphoma tissues was shown in 18 of 24 (75%) different NHL subtypes, including most of the diffuse large B cell lymphoma (12 of 15, 80%). In conclusion, our study showed higher pretreatment serum HGF levels in NHL patients, which was related to clinical features; and the serial change of HGF seemed to parallel the treatment response. The pathogenic role of HGF in NHL patients was further highlighted by a modest expression of HGF in most of the diffuse large B cell lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Liang-Tsai
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Jen-Tsun
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: I-Ting
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tzeon-Jye
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Jin-Hwang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chueh-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Wei-Shu
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Po-Min
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor