title: Evaluation of hepatocyte growth factor as a sensitive marker for early detection of acute renal allograft rejection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been shown that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), besides its well-established hepatotrophic effect in liver regeneration, is involved in the regeneration of the kidney after injury. In the present study we investigated whether HGF can serve as a marker for detection of acute rejection in the early posttransplantation period.
  
  
  METHODS
  HGF levels were determined in pre- and posttransplant sera (up to day 21) of 26 recipients with biopsy-proven acute rejection, 30 recipients with acute tubular necrosis (ATN), and 32 recipients without posttransplant complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although no association was found between pretransplant HGF and death-censored functional graft survival, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated that HGF measured during the entire posttransplant study period, and especially on days 3 to 5, was a good marker for differentiating recipients who subsequently developed acute rejection from recipients with an uncomplicated course (P<0.0001, specificity 87%, sensitivity 84%). HGF measured from day 3 until day 21 posttransplantation, and especially on days 7 to 9, was also a sensitive marker for differentiating recipients with ATN from recipients with an uncomplicated course (P<0.0001). If considered in combination with sCD30, the diagnostic value of HGF was further improved. While 73% of samples from patients with impending rejection were positive for both HGF and sCD30, 94% of samples from nonrejecting patients were double-negative and none of the samples from this group fell into the double-positive category (P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that HGF measured during the early posttransplant period might be a useful parameter for early detection of acute renal allograft rejection.
authors: Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: Khaled
authors: K
authors: Mahmoud
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Opelz
authors: Steffen
authors: S
authors: Pelzl
authors: Volker
authors: V
authors: Daniel
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Sommerer
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Zeier
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Schmidt
authors: Constanze
authors: C
authors: Schönemann
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Schnülle
authors: Caner
authors: C
authors: Süsal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006262:Health; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor