Human hepatocyte growth factor in bile: An indicator of posthepatectomy liver function in patients with biliary tract carcinoma

Abstract

We measured the concentration of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in bile obtained from patients after hepatectomy. The HGF concentrations in the bile samples were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). By immunoblotting, using a monoclonal antibody raised against the HGF α- subunit, the bile HGF, which was purified on a Heparin-Sepharose column, showed a band of the same size as the recombinant HGF α-subunit (69 kd). Bile samples were obtained from 24 patients with biliary tract disease before and after hepatectomy by means of biliary drainage. Before surgery, the bile HGF concentrations were minimal (0.8 ± 0.1 ng/mL); however, after hepatectomy on postoperative day 1 in patients without posthepatectomy liver failure (20 of 24), they increased severalfold (4.1 ± 0.4 ng/mL, P