Serum active hepatocyte growth factor (AHGF) in benign prostatic disease and prostate cancer

• Published in: The Prostate Vol. 69; no. 4; pp. 346 - 351
• Main Authors: Yasuda, Kenji, Nagakawa, Osamu, Akashi, Takuya, Fujiuchi, Yasuyoshi, Koizumi, Keiichi, Komiya, Akira, Saiki, Ikuo, Fuse, Hideki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-03-2009; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - blood; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; AHGF; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Disease Progression; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Hepatocyte Growth Factor - blood; Humans; Male; Male genital diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; prostate cancer; Prostatic Diseases - blood; Prostatic Neoplasms - blood; Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory - blood; Retrospective Studies; THGF; Tumors; Tumors of the urinary system; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; Andrology; Nephrology; Urinary system disease; Prostate disease; Hepatocyte growth factor; Gynecology; Malignant tumor; THGF; AHGF; Male genital diseases; Prostate cancer; Serum factor; Cancer
• ISSN: 0270-4137; 1097-0045
• DOI: 10.1002/pros.20890

BACKGROUND
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is secreted as an inactive single‐chain precursor called pro‐HGF. Pro‐HGF is converted to an active two‐chain form by HGF activator and matriptase. We attempted to clarify whether serum levels of active HGF (AHGF) could be used as a marker of prostate cancer.
METHODS
Serum levels of AHGF and total HGF (THGF; pro‐HGF + AHGF) were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 38 patients with benign prostatic disease and 160 patients with prostate cancer.
RESULTS
Serum levels of AHGF in patients with untreated prostate cancer (0.37 ± 0.12 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those in patients with benign prostatic disease (0.28 ± 0.08 ng/ml) (P = 0.0001). Serum AHGF levels were increased in patients with stage D or D3 compared with stage B. In addition, there were significant differences in serum AHGF levels between patients with well‐differentiated and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the mean serum AHGF/THGF ratio in patients with stage D3 prostate cancer was significantly higher than that in patients with stage B.
CONCLUSIONS
AHGF may be a potential tumor marker for prostate cancer. Further studies in large groups of patients are needed to define the clinical value of AHGF. Prostate 69:346–351, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.