Background: To assess any correlation of plasma hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels with relevant endothelial cell injury parameters and determine the prognostic value in septic patients.
Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted in patients with sepsis admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the Zhongda Hospital from November 2017 to March 2018. Plasma HGF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the first 24 h after admission (day 1) and on day 3. The primary endpoint was defined as all-cause 28-day mortality. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation of HGF with relevant endothelial cell injury markers.
Results: Eighty-six patients admitted with sepsis were included. HGF levels of nonsurvivors were elevated compared to those of survivors on day 1 (1940.62 ± 74.66 pg/mL vs. 1635.61 ± 47.49 pg/mL; P = 0.002) and day 3 (1824.82 ± 137.52 pg/mL vs. 1309.77 ± 83.49 pg/mL; P = 0.001) and showed a strong correlation with von Willebrand factor (r = 0.45, P < 0.0001), lactate (r = 0.35, P = 0.0011), pulmonary vascular permeability index (r = 0.38, P = 0.0241), first 24 h fluid administration (r = 0.38, P < 0.0001), and sequential organ failure assessment score (r = 0.40, P = 0.0001). Plasma HGF levels were able to prognostically discriminate between survivors and nonsurvivors on day 1 (AUC: 0.72, 95%CI: 0.60-0.84) and day 3 (AUC: 0.77, 95%CI: 0.63-0.91).
Conclusions: HGF levels are associated with sepsis and correlated with established markers of endothelial cell injury. Elevated HGF levels in sepsis patients are an efficient indicator of poor prognosis.
Trial registration: The study was registered in Clinical Trial (Registration Number: NCT02883231).
Keywords: biomarker; endothelial cell injury; hepatocyte growth factor; prognostic; sepsis.