Utility of Hepatocyte Growth Factor as a Biomarker for Early Diagnosis of Pulmonary Artery Hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine plasma levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), and to explore the diagnostic value of plasma HGF for PAH.

METHODS: Sixty subjects were divided into a control group of healthy individuals (N = 15) and a PAH group (N = 45). The PAH group was divided into three groups (N = 15 each) according to disease severity: mild PAH (group L), moderate PAH (group M), and severe PAH (group H). Plasma HGF levels in PAH patients were collected on the morning after admission to the hospital. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure was measured by right heart catheterization.

RESULTS: Plasma HGF levels were significantly higher in the PAH group than in the control group (P < 0.001), and significantly higher in group H than in group M (P < 0.001) and group L (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in plasma HGF levels between patients with PAH of idiopathic etiology and those with PAH of secondary etiology (P = 0.595). The HGF level was positively correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.967, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of HGF in PAH patients with mild disease were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, suggesting that plasma HGF has potential utility as a diagnostic biomarker for early PAH.