Prognostic Significance of Circulating Levels of Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Patients with Chagas’ Disease and Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Objectives: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) plays an important role in the improvement in cardiac function and remodeling in a variety of cardiovascular diseases. It is also a strong predictor of mortality in some heart failure (HF) patients. However, its prognostic value in patients with Chagas’ disease (CD) or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains to be investigated. Methods and Results: In this prospective cohort study, HGF concentrations were measured in patients with CD (n = 91), DCM (n = 47), and control subjects (n = 25). While no difference was detected for patients with New York Heart Association class I–II, HGF was significantly increased in advanced HF patients (New York Heart Association class III–IV) in both CD and DCM groups, compared with healthy subjects. There was a strong correlation between HGF and left ventricular ejection fraction in CD patients. However, there was no correlation in patients with DCM. Despite its strong correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction in CD patients, HGF failed to predict mortality and necessity for heart transplant in both CD and DCM patients. Conclusions: Although HGF can be significantly increased in advanced HF patients with CD and DCM, its prognostic value for endpoints is minor. Therefore, the formerly described predictive power for HGF in HF might be restricted to specific etiologies of HF.

Potential Target Molecules in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) and Ryanodine Receptor 2 (RyR2)

“…Moreover, although HGF was associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure patients, Wang and colleagues show that its prognostic value for mortality and heart transplant necessity in various forms of cardiomyopathy is poor [50]. In their prospective cohort study, HGF concentrations were measured in patients with Chagas' disease related dilated cardiomyopathy or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.…”

Hepatocyte Growth Factor as a Prognostic Marker in Heart Failure: Promise and Challenges

“…In this issue of Cardiology , Wang et al [10] investigate the prognostic value of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in 91 patients with Chagas’ disease (CD) and 47 patients with DCM, evaluated for left ventricular dysfunction. Patients with left ventricular dysfunction had been treated for at least 3 months with standard pharmacologic therapy according to their New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class prior to blood sample collection and had been clinically stable for at least 30 days.…”

“…Although HGF has previously been associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure patients [11,12], Wang at al. [10] show that its prognostic value for mortality and heart transplant necessity in both CD and DCM patients is poor. …”

“…The study by Wang et al [10] is to be commended because it addresses the novel and intriguing hypothesis of interaction between the cause of heart failure and HGF’s prognostic role. To date, the available evidence has mainly been derived from patients with ischemic heart failure; therefore, the study by Wang et al [10] is valuable because it tests the results of previous studies in two different homogenous populations of patients with heart failure, those with CD and those with DCM.…”

“…To date, the available evidence has mainly been derived from patients with ischemic heart failure; therefore, the study by Wang et al [10] is valuable because it tests the results of previous studies in two different homogenous populations of patients with heart failure, those with CD and those with DCM. The authors show that the circulating levels of HGF in clinically stable patients are associated with the severity of heart failure symptoms in patients with CD and DCM, consistent with but extending the findings of previous studies in patients with ischemic heart failure.…”