Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, angiogenesis and tumour cell proliferation in primary breast cancer

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a fibroblast-derived cytokine whose receptor is encoded by c-met. HGF/SF promotes tumour cell proliferation, dissociation, invasion and angiogenesis. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between HGF/SF expression, disease-relapse and reduced overall survival in patients with primary breast cancer. HGF/SF levels were measured in 73 breast cancers (median follow up: 61 months) by ELISA. Frozen sections of these tumours were stained with anti-CD34 antibody to determine percentage tumour vascular volume and antibody MIB-1 to determine KI-67 tumour proliferation index. There was a significant positive linear correlation between HGF/SF levels, tumour vascular volume (r = 0.493, P < 0.001) and KI-67 index (r = 0.255, P < 0.04). Tumour vascular volume also correlated with disease relapse (P < 0.04) and KI-67 index with tumour grade (P < 0.02) and reduced overall survival (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate an association between HGF/SF expression, tumour vascular volume and KI-67 index. This suggests that the observed effect of HGF/SF expression on disease-relapse and overall survival may be linked to tumour cell proliferation and angiogenesis.