Hepatocyte growth factor in hepatic allograft biopsies: an immunohistochemical study

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multipotent growth factor that is a powerful stimulator of DNA synthesis in a variety of cell types, especially hepatocytes. This factor is produced by nonparenchymal cells in the liver, presumably Kupffer cells, Ito cells, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. Research has shown that HGF is involved in tissue regeneration, wound healing, normal tissue growth, tumor progression, embryogenesis, and tumor invasion. Elevated serum levels of HGF have been documented in patients with acute renal failure and in renal transplant recipients; however, the importance of HGF in liver transplantation is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether induction of HGF expression is associated with acute rejection in liver transplants. We assessed the presence and density of HGF in hepatic allograft biopsy specimens compared with those from a control group of healthy patients.