Changes in plasma levels of hepatocyte growth factor and its associated factors during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was originally identified as a factor that stimulates the mitogenesis of hepatocyte, and also plays a role in maintaining pregnancy. We conducted this study to evaluate the changes in plasma concentrations of HGF and its associated factors during normal pregnancy.


METHODS
Blood specimens were obtained from 14 healthy non-pregnant and 175 healthy pregnant and post-partum women (189 women in all). The women's plasma concentrations of total HGF, active HGF, active HGF activator (HGFA), HGF activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) and HGF activator inhibitor type 2 (HAI-2) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
The levels of active HGF and HGF activator were significantly lower in pregnant women compared with those of non-pregnant women. The level of plasma HAI-1 significantly increased as pregnancy progressed, while it fell post-partum. Also, there were no differences in the concentrations of total HGF and HAI-2 in non-pregnant and pregnant women.


CONCLUSIONS
A high concentration of HAI-1 during pregnancy may decrease the plasma level of active HGFA. This may in turn inhibit the activation of the precursor form of HGF, leading to a decrease in the level of plasma active HGF.
Watanabe
Takashi
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan. twatnabe@jichi.ac.jp
Sakata
Yoichi
Y
Matsubara
Shigeki
S
Yamagishi
Toshiya
T
Nagaike
Kazuhiro
K
Kuwata
Tomoyuki
T
Suzuki
Mitsuaki
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D053491:Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood; D014360:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / Q000097:blood
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053491:Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory; C109149:SPINT1 protein, human; C109148:SPINT2 protein, human; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D014360:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean; C081092:HGF activator; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases