title: Different reactivities of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for hepatocyte growth factor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) plays diverse roles in organ development, tissue regeneration, and tumor progression. Measurement of HGF concentrations in blood and tissues using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a simple and easy way to understand the significance of HGF in tissue regeneration, pathophysiology, and diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 3 ELISA kits from different sources, referred to herein as kits A, B, and C for convenience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the concentrations of human HGF determined using ELISA vary significantly depending on the source of the ELISA kit. Kits A and B detected both single-chain pro-HGF and 2-chain mature HGF, but kit C detected only 2-chain HGF. A difference in reactivity was also detected during analysis of plasma samples. When rat plasma collected 4 h after subcutaneous administration of human HGF was analyzed, the HGF concentration determined using kit B was remarkably higher than those obtained using kits A and C. Results of a biological assay and Western blot analysis indicated that kit B detects even degraded HGF, by which the HGF concentrations determined using kit B were significantly overestimated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This information serves as a guide for the selection of ELISA kits for human HGF.
authors.affiliation: Kringle Pharma Joint Research Division for Regenerative Drug Discovery, Center for Advanced Science and Innovation, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuta
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase