Objective: To investigate the correlations of two hepatocyte growth factor (HGF ) gene polymorphisms (rs5745652 and rs2074725) and their protein expression levels with the efficacy of transhepatic arterial chemotherapeutic embolism (TACE) and prognosis in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC).
Methods: From March 2011 to June 2012, 109 PLC patients (the case group) who chose TACE as primary treatment and 80 healthy people (the control group) who had undergone physical examination in The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University were selected during the same period. Gene polymorphisms of HGF  rs5745652 and HGF  rs2074725 were detected. Serum HGF level, treating efficacy, survival quality, and 3-year survival rate for PLC patients who received TACE were observed.
Results: There were significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies of HGF  rs5745652 and HGF  rs2074725, between the case and control groups (all P <0.05). Compared with CT+TT genotype of HGF  rs5745652, patients carrying CC genotype had lower serum HGF  levels, higher efficacy, better survival quality, and prolonged 3-year survival rate (all P <0.05). In rs2074725, patients carrying CA+AA genotype had lower serum HGF levels, higher efficacy, better survival quality, and prolonged 3-year survival rate compared with patients carrying rs2074725 CC genotype (all P <0.05). Gene polymorphisms of HGF  rs5745652 and HGF  rs2074725, tumor size, and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage were independent prognostic factors for PLC (P <0.05).
Conclusion: Our results indicated that HGF  gene polymorphisms affect TACE efficacy and survival quality of PLC patients. Patients with HGF  CC genotype of rs5745652 and CA+AA genotype of rs2074725 had decreased HGF level, better curative effect, high survival quality, and a good prognosis after TACE treatment.
Keywords: primary liver cancer, hepatocyte growth factor, rs5745652, rs2074725, gene polymorphisms, transhepatic arterial chemotherapeutic embolism efficacy, HGF, TACE efficacy