title: Changes in plasma levels of hepatocyte growth factor and its associated factors during pregnancy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan. twatnabe@jichi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagaike
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwata
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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