Circulating hepatocyte growth factor as a diagnostic marker of thrombus formation in patients with cerebral infarction.

Circulating levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are increased in the early stage of an acute myocardial infarction because of arterial thrombosis. The purpose of this study was to use a new sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to investigate whether circulating HGF is increased in patients with cerebral infarction. Circulating HGF was measured in 32 patients with cerebral infarction on admission to hospital and on days 2, 3, 7 and 14 after the onset of symptoms.