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[Serum hepatocyte growth factor as a possible indicator of vascular lesions]
M Nishimura1, M Ushiyama, M Yoshimura
1Department of Clinical and Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine.
Insights
Elevated hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels correlate with advanced arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. Measuring serum HGF may help predict vascular lesions in diabetic patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Diabetology
- Ophthalmology
Context:
- Vascular lesions, including arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis, are significant complications in diabetes.
- Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss.
- Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is implicated in various biological processes, including angiogenesis and tissue repair.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) concentrations and the severity of vascular lesions.
- To explore the role of HGF in diabetic arteriosclerosis, coronary atherosclerosis, and retinopathy.
Summary:
- Higher serum HGF levels were observed with increasing grades of arteriosclerosis.
- Increased HGF was noted in patients with multi-vessel coronary heart disease.
- Serum HGF was elevated in proliferative diabetic retinopathy but lower in diabetics without retinopathy compared to non-diabetics.
Impact:
- Findings suggest HGF involvement in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, and retinal neovascularization.
- Serum HGF measurement could serve as a predictive biomarker for vascular lesions.
- This research contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic vascular complications.
Abstract:
To investigate the possible involvement of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with vascular lesions, we studied the relationship between serum HGF concentrations and the grades of retinal arteriosclerosis, coronary atherosclerosis, and the proliferative changes in the retina of diabetic subjects. Individuals with more advanced grades of arteriosclerotic change showed higher serum HGF values (grade 0, 0.056 +/- 0.004ng/ml; grade 1, 0.132 +/- 0.026ng/ml; grade 2-3, 0.271 +/- 0.023ng/ml). The serum HGF concentration was increased (p < 0.05) in subjects with double- (0.323 +/- 0.037ng/ml) or triple-(0.345 +/- 0.027ng/ml) vessel coronary heart diseases, as compared to that in subjects with single-vessel coronary heart disease (0.191 +/- 0.027ng/ml). Serum HGF in diabetics without retinopathy was lower than that in nondiabetic subjects (0.041 +/- 0.003ng/ml vs 0.080 +/- 0.010ng/ml, p < 0.05), but did not differ from other diabetic subjects with background retinopathy (0.058 +/- 0.007ng/ml) or preproliferative retinopathy (0.048 +/- 0.010ng/ml). Serum HGF was increased in proliferative retinopathy without photocoagulation (0.138 +/- 0.035ng/ml, p < 0.01), but not with photocoagulation (0.040 +/- 0.008ng/ml). Increased serum HGF may be involved in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis or retinal neovascularization, and measurement of serum HGF may be a useful test to predict the presence of these vascular lesions.