title: Significance of serum circulating hepatocyte growth factor in the development of carotid atherosclerosis.
abstract: We investigated the relation between the serum concentration of HGF and carotid atherosclerosis. Serum concentrations of HGF were measured in 128 in-patients (mean age, 74 +/- 11 years) free from cardiac, liver and renal diseases, in addition to lung diseases, in the Medical Department of Nomura Municipal Hospital between August, 2000 and June, 2001. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was evaluated by ultrasonography with a 7.5 MHz linear type B-mode probe. The results showed a significantly positive correlation between serum age and HGF concentrations in patients with carotid atherosclerosis (IMT > 1.0 mm) (r = 0.391, p = 0.005). On the other hand, there was no significant correlation between age and serum HGF concentration in those without carotid atherosclerosis (IMT </= 1.0 mm) (r = 0.157, p = 0.173). A general linear model analysis for HGF adjusted with other risk factors showed that the age-carotid atherosclerosis interactions were significantly associated with serum HGF (F [1.114] = 6.193; p = 0.014), in addition to age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), aniti-hypertensive drug use, diabetes mellitus and carotid atherosclerosis. In contrast, multiple regression analysis showed that serum HGF (beta = 0.160, p = 0.033) was independently associated with carotid atherosclerois, in addition to gender, age, SBP and HDL-cholesterol. These results suggest that increased serum HGF concentrations were associated with carotid atherosclerosis, independent of known risk factors for atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nomura Municipal Hospital, Higashiuwa-gun, Ehime, Japan. rykawamo@ehime.med.or.jp
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yaemi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takagi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor