Hepatocyte growth factor in Egyptian females with breast benign lumps and cancers.

BACKGROUND

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) also known as scatter factor (SF) and its receptor c-met play important roles in mammary differentiation and have been implicated in mammary carcinogenesis.

OBJECTIVE

Estimation of the plasma level of HGF in females with benign breast lumps or breast carcinomas and correlating levels with important prognostic parameters.

SUBJECTS: Sixty eight adult premenopausal females were divided into control group of fifteen healthy volunteers and fifty-three patients subdivided into fifteen with benign breast lumps and thirty-eight with breast carcinomas.

METHODS

A thorough clinical examination, plain chest x-rays, ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis, pre- operative fine needle aspiration cytology, estimation of fasting serum glucose, urea, creatinine and uric acid levels, alanine aminotransferase activities, C-reactive protein, HGF level and histopathological examination of the breast masses were performed.

RESULTS

Significant increase in HGF levels was found in patients with benign breast lumps and in breast cancer patients when each was compared to controls and when cancer patients were compared to the benign breast lumps group.

CONCLUSION

The serum level of HGF is an independent prognostic indicator for breast cancer.