Serum HGF and TGF-beta1 levels after right portal vein embolization

The changes in the serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 levels after portal vein embolization (PVE), and their clinical significance, remain unclear and we aimed to assess their relationship.

The serum HGF and TGF-beta1 levels were prospectively measured in 22 patients before and 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 day after right PVE. Computed tomographic volumetry was performed before and at a mean of 26 +/- 4 days after right PVE.

Three to four weeks after right PVE, the volume of embolized lobe significantly decreased from 704 +/- 157 cm(3) before PVE to 539 +/- 168 cm(3) after PVE (P < 0.001). In contrast, the volume of nonembolized lobe significantly increased from 426 +/- 142 cm(3) to 560 +/- 165 cm(3) (P < 0.001). The serum HGF level significantly increased on day 3 after PVE compared with the pretreatment level (P = 0.005), while the serum TGF-beta1 level significantly decreased and reached its lowest value on day 3 (P = 0.002). Using Pearson's correlation analysis, we found that the serum HGF and TGF-beta1 levels on day 14 negatively associated with the large hypertrophic response in the nonembolized lobe (HGF: r = -0.490, P = 0.021; TGF-beta1: r = -0.473, P = 0.026).

PVE induced an increase in the serum HGF level and reduced the serum TGF-beta1 level. Measurement of serum HGF and TGF-beta1 levels on day 14 after right PVE may be useful for assessment of the future liver hypertrophy in nonembolized lobe after right PVE.