Wang Y et al. – Although hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) can be significantly increased in advanced heart failure (HF) patients with chagas' disease (CD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), its prognostic value for endpoints is minor. Therefore, the formerly described predictive power for HGF in HF might be restricted to specific etiologies of HF.

• In this prospective cohort study, HGF concentrations were measured in patients with CD (n = 91), DCM (n = 47), and control subjects (n = 25).
• While no difference was detected for patients with New York Heart Association class I–II, HGF was significantly increased in advanced HF patients (New York Heart Association class III–IV) in both CD and DCM groups, compared with healthy subjects.
• There was a strong correlation between HGF and left ventricular ejection fraction in CD patients.

• However, there was no correlation in patients with DCM.
• Despite its strong correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction in CD patients, HGF failed to predict mortality and necessity for heart transplant in both CD and DCM patients.