Expression of hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor in non -small cell lung carcinoma and its significance

Objective To detect the expression of HGF and c-Met proteins in normal bronchial epithelial(NBE) and non-small cell lun g carcinoma(NSCLC), to explore the expression relationship with clinic pathlogic parameters of NSCLC, and to investigate function between HGF and c-Met. Methods Immunnohistochemistry(S-P method) was adopted to detect the HGF and c -Met proteins expression in 14 cases of NBE and 45 NSCLC. Results In NBE positive rates of HGF and c-Met were 14.3% (2/14) and 21.4%(3/14), r espectively, but in all of NSCLC were 51.1%(23/45) and 60.0%(27/45), respectivel y. The difference of HGF and c-Met expression was significant between NSCLC and NBE (P=0.015,P=0.012). HGF expression was correlated with lymph node me tastasis (P=0.026). c-Met expression was related to differentiation degree and histotype (P=0.014,P=0.025). There was positive relationship betwe en the express ions of HGF and c-Met (P=0.002, r=0.472) in NSCLC. Ninteen cases of 45 NSCLC (42.2%) were found to co-express HGF and c-Met, 13 of 19(68.4%) were aut ocrine, 6 of 19(31.6%) were paracrine. Conclusions HGF and c-M et is involved in formation and progression of NSCLC mainly by autocrine. Both h ave high level expression in adenocarcinoma and might be diagnostic and prognost ic factors of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.