title: Expression of hepatocyte growth factor in the skin of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is one of the most potent survival-promoting factors for motor neurons. Overexpression of neuronal HGF has been shown to result in the attenuation of neuronal cell death and progression of disease in a familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) transgenic mouse model. HGF might be beneficial for motor neuron survival and is a good candidate agent for the treatment of ALS. So far, studies of the skin of ALS have shown unique pathological and biochemical abnormalities. However, there has been no study of HGF in ALS skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We made a quantitative immunohistochemical study of the expression of HGF in the skin from 19 patients with sporadic ALS and 16 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepatocyte growth factor immunoreactivity was positive in the epidermis, some dermal blood vessels, and glands in patients with ALS. These findings became more conspicuous as ALS progressed. The optical density for HGF immunoreactivity of the nucleus and the cytoplasm in the epidermis in ALS was significantly higher (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001) than in controls. There was a significant positive relation (r = 0.53, P < 0.02 and r = 0.73, P < 0.001) between HGF immunoreactivity and duration of illness in the nucleus and the cytoplasm in the epidermis in patients with ALS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that changes in HGF in ALS skin are related to the disease process and that metabolic alterations of HGF may take place in the skin of patients with ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center, Ichihara, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oketa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: C066855:HGF protein, human; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor