STUDIES OF CHANGES IN SERUM HUMAN HEPATOCYTE GROWTH FACTOR, INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INTERLEUKIN-8 LEVELS AFTER HEPATECTOMY

In order to study the network between human Hepatocyte Growth Factor (hHGF) and cytokines, we measured the changes in serum hHGF, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels by ELISA method after hepatectomy in 7 patients. And plasma endotoxin levels were also measured by means of endospecy method. Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 reached the maximum immediately after hepatectomy, and rapidly decreased. Meanwhile serum hHGF levels reached the peak on just 1st postoperative day, and gradually decreased. Plasma endotoxin levels were all under normal level. No significant differences in the changes of serum hHGF were observed among the cases with or without liver cirrhosis, or the grades of hepatectomy. No significant correlations were found between peak serum levels of hHGF and those of IL-6. The interval time between the peak serum level of IL-6 and that of hHGF was 15 hours on the average. These results suggest that IL-6 can be a factor influencing the production of hHGF.