Objective: To investigate the changes of serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in patients with acute renal failure (ARF) and to evaluate the clinical value.
Methods: Serum HGF levels were determined by ELISA in 31 patients with ARF at the stages of oliguria, polyuria and convalescence and in 28 healthy controls.
Results: Compared with the controls, the HGF levels in the serum increased significantly in the ARF group at the stages of oliguria and polyuria, while the serum HGF returned to normal levels at the convalescence stage. There was significant positive correlation between the serum HGF and BUN or SCr in the ARF group.
Conclusion: Serum HGF in ARF patients increased significantly and tended to rise at first but dropped afterwards, which reflected the course of renal injury and the recovery of renal epithelial cells.