Elevated serum concentrations of hepatocyte growth factor in acute myelocytic leukaemia

Serum concentrations of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were measured in 60 patients suffering from acute myelocytic leukaemia (AML). At t he time o diagnosis elevated HGF concentrations (>1.25 ng/ml) were fo und in 28% of the patients. HGF levels correlated with the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), levels of lysozyme, creatinine, peripheral blood blast counts and lactic dehydrogenase. In the group of patients with high HGF (>1,25 ng/ml) we found a tende ncy towards an increased early mortality; 41% of then died within 15 d from diagnosis, as opposed to 5% of the patients with normal HGF (l og rank test p=0.07). DIC-related bleeding or thrombosis contributed to this early mortality, In responders, HGF levels normalized after t reatment. HGF levels are low in neutropenia and neutropenic infectio ns.