title: Metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is not only an antiapoptotic and antifibrotic factor of liver, but it is also an adipokine. Serum HGF levels are strongly associated with liver diseases, obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and metabolic syndrome (MS). Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the hepatic component of MS. To the best of our knowledge, serum HGF levels in patients with NASH have not been previously studied. Our aim was to elucidate the correlation of HGF with the clinical and histopathological parameters of NASH.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 26 patients (13 men) who had clinical diagnoses of NASH and underwent liver biopsies. Controls were 13 volunteers (3 men) with negative viral autoimmune markers, and with normal levels of serum lipids and liver enzymes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the NASH patients, 14(54%) were overweight and 10 (39%) had grade I-II obesity. All the patients had class 3-4 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) except for 2 who had class 2 disease. All of the patients had Child's class A liver disease, and MS was present in 5 (19%) patients and 8(31%) patients had Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA) > 3. Serum HGF levels were similar in NASH patients (1.24 +/- 1.09 pg/mL) and controls (0.86 +/- 0.22 pg/mL) (p = 0.21). The levels of serum HGF did not differ between the patients with or without MS (1.65 +/- 1.48 pg/mL and 1.04 +/- 0.80 pg/mL, respectively, p=0.65). HGF was not correlated with the laboratory or histopathological parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum HGF levels were higher in NASH patients than in the controls, although it was statistically insignificant and a correlation with MS could not be detected in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Unit of Gastroenterology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. ybalaban@superonline.com
authors.forename: Yasemin H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Balaban
authors.forename: Hale
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumer
authors.forename: Halis
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: Durdal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Us
authors.forename: Gonca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tatar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor