Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Primary Systemic Amyloidosis

Area of Science:

• Internal Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Pathology

Background:

• Decompensated liver cirrhosis can present with unclear etiology.
• Elevated serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been observed in various conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential role of serum HGF in diagnosing and predicting prognosis in a patient with suspected systemic amyloidosis presenting with liver dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• A 75-year-old male patient with liver dysfunction underwent diagnostic evaluation.
• Serum HGF levels were measured.
• Biopsies of the stomach, duodenum, and rectum were performed.
• Congo red staining and immunohistochemical analyses were utilized for amyloid detection and characterization.

Main Results:

• The patient was diagnosed with decompensated liver cirrhosis and presented with markedly elevated serum HGF (16.24 ng/ml).
• Gastrointestinal mucosal biopsies revealed amyloid deposition.
• Diagnosis was confirmed as systemic amyloid light-chain amyloidosis.
• The patient unfortunately passed away one month post-diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Serum HGF levels may serve as a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis of primary systemic amyloidosis.
• Elevated serum HGF could potentially indicate a poor prognosis in patients with systemic amyloidosis.