Concomitant expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), HGF activator and c‐met genes in human glioma cells in vitro

Three new cell lines of human glioblastoma have been established. These cells co-expressed hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, c-Met, genes in vitro. Reverse-transcriptase/polymerase-chain reaction study revealed that the cells also expressed gene for HGF activator, a recently cloned serine proteinase, suggesting that HGF might have a role in glioma cells in vitro as an autocrine factor. The activator mRNA was also detected in other well-established glioma cell lines, glioma tissues and normal brain. The concomitant expression of HGF, HGF activator and c-met was also detected in one glioblastoma case in vivo out of five tested.