Hepatocyte growth factor in patients with coronary artery disease and its relation to periodontal condition

Publication date: 2012 Source:Results in Immunology, Volume 2 Author(s): J. Lönn , C. Starkhammar Johansson , H. Kälvegren , L. Brudin , C. Skoglund , P. Garvin , E. Särndahl , N. Ravald , A. Richter , T. Bengtsson , F. Nayeri Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is an angiogenic, cardioprotective factor important for tissue and vascular repair. High levels of HGF are associated with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and periodontitis, and are suggested as a marker of the ongoing atherosclerotic event in patients with CAD. Periodontal disease is more prevalent among patients with CAD than among healthy people. Recent studies indicate a reduced biological activity of HGF in different chronic inflammatory conditions. Biologically active HGF has high affinity to heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) on cell-membrane and extracellular matrix. The aim of the study was to investigate the serum concentration and the biological activity of HGF with ELISA and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), respectively, before and at various time points after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with CAD, and to examine the relationship with periodontal condition. The periodontal status of the CAD patients was examined, and the presence of P. gingivalis in periodontal pockets was analyzed with PCR. The HGF concentration was significantly higher, at all time-points, in patients with CAD compared to the age-matched controls (P< 0.001)...
Source: Results in Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research