Increased hepatocyte growth factor and c-Met receptor expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, c-Met, are associated with invasive tumor growth. This study sought to profile the expression of HGF and c-Met in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissue. Of 221 patients recruited between March 2010 and September 2013, 106 were diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma; the remaining 115 had nasal inflammation (nasopharyngeal mucositis) and were used as controls. Inmmunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of HGF and c-Met in tissue samples. HGF and c-Met were predominantly expressed in the columnar nasopharyngeal epithelium. The proportion of samples expressing HGF and c-Met was significantly higher in NPC than in controls (P < 0.001). Further, the proportion of samples expressing c-Met and HGF (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively) was significantly higher in NPC stages III and IV than in stages I and II. The expression of c-Met was also significantly correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis. Thus, HGF and c-Met expression are upregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. That their expression correlates with disease severity and metastasis may indicate that these proteins promote tumor invasion. Further research could determine the utility of c-Met as a biomarker for the prognosis of NPC.