Wednesday, July 22, 2009, Dr. Alfred Janetzko of DRG Instruments GmbH gave a poster presentation on CTGF at the AACC Annual Meeting and Show (American Association of Clinical Chemistry) in Chicago, USA. The Poster was based on the following Abstract: 

Connective tissue growth factor: a marker of liver fibrogenesis?

E. Kovalenko, O. Gressner, R. Weiskirchen, A. M. Gressner, A. Janetzko¹, C.E. Geacintov²

Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, RWTH University Hospital, D-52074 Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, Germany

¹ DRG Instruments GmbH, Frauenbergstr. 18, D-35039 Marburg, Germany

² DRG International, Inc., 1167 US Highway 22, Mountainside N.J. 07092, U.S.A.

CTGF, a member of the CCN protein family, is relevant in many physiological and pathological processes (1). Both, clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated that CTGF is overexpressed in fibrotic human liver and in experimental animal models of liver fibrogenesis (2). CTGF is detectable in various human fluids (serum, plasma, urine) and can potentially provide information about fibrotic remodelling processes (3). We established a novel method for the measurement of serum CTGF-level and tested if this CCN protein is a suitable marker for staging liver fibrosis. We examined 138 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection (median age 47 years, range 17-85 years; 76 males and 62 non-pregnant females) and healthy controls (n= 80). CTGF-levels were measured using a novel ELISA test that utilized capture and detection antibodies directed against the C-terminal and N-terminal part of CTGF. The CTGF-level was determined to 15.4±10.0 µg/L in healthy volunteers and 53.8±34.68 µg/L in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Moreover, the CTGF concentration was elevated in all patients, irrespectively of the severity of hepatic fibrosis that was scored after Desmet Scheuer (F1 47.5 (median 45; range 11-171) µg/L, F2 48.2 (median 42; range 14-189) µg/L, F3 52.9 (median 41; range 11-150) µg/L, F4 81.5 (median 76; range 21-148) µg/L). Therefore, we conclude that serum CTGF-levels determined by the new DRG ELISA are usable for classification of diseases that are associated with fibrogenesis in general.

References cited

•1.     Brigstock DR. Endor Rev 1999;20:189-206.

•2.     Paradis V, Dargere D, Vidaud M, et al. Hepatology 1999;30:968-76.

•3.     Moussas E, Brigstock DR. Mol Genet Metabolism 2000;71:276-92.