Abstract: According to this invention, the following are provided: a pharmaceutical composition for treating and/or preventing esophageal stenosis, comprising an HGF protein as an active ingredient (wherein the HGF protein may be a polypeptide that is any one of the following: (a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2; (b) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 in which one to several amino acids are deleted, substituted, or added; or (c) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2; and a stent comprising the pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: According to this invention, the following are provided: a pharmaceutical composition for treating and/or preventing esophageal stenosis, comprising an HGF protein as an active ingredient (wherein the HGF protein may be a polypeptide that is any one of the following: (a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2; (b) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 in which one to several amino acids are deleted, substituted, or added; or (c) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2; and a stent comprising the pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for acute liver failure containing a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), particularly an agent for treating fulminant hepatitis or late onset hepatic failure or suppression of progression of acute liver failure without hepatic coma to fulminant hepatitis or late onset hepatic failure. The present invention also provides a method for evaluating the efficacy of HGF including measuring the amount of ?-fetoprotein (liver regeneration biomarker) and/or soluble Fas (anti-apoptotic biomarker) in a sample obtained from a liver injury patient administered with HGF.

Abstract: This invention provides an agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus with notable anti-HCV activity and without side-effects. The agent comprises a proanthocyanidin polymer composition illustrated in the following the general formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R3 is possibly hydroxyl when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R1 and R3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three patterns as follows; (i) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, (ii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6, (iii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, and between carbon, at the position 2 and oxygen at the position 7.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for acute liver failure containing a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), particularly an agent for treating fulminant hepatitis or late onset hepatic failure or suppression of progression of acute liver failure without hepatic coma to fulminant hepatitis or late onset hepatic failure. The present invention also provides a method for evaluating the efficacy of HGF including measuring the amount of ?-fetoprotein (liver regeneration biomarker) and/or soluble Fas (anti-apoptotic biomarker) in a sample obtained from a liver injury patient administered with HGF.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a marker for the diagnosis of a liver disease, which can determine the disease in a simple manner; an antibody directed against the marker; a diagnostic agent; a diagnosis method; and a method for marker detection in blood or serum. Proteome analysis revealed that quantities of the full-length kininogen and three partial peptides thereof (sequence A: position-440 to position-456, sequence B: position-439 to position-456, and sequence C: position-438 to position-456) in sera of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are significantly different from those in sera of healthy individuals; and a diagnostic agent and a detecting method for the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that can be conveniently used for medical examination are established.

Abstract: This invention provides an agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus with notable anti-HCV activity and without side-effects. The agent comprises a proanthocyanidin polymer composition illustrated in the following the general formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R3 is possibly hydroxyl when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R1 and R3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three patterns as follows; (i) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, (ii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6, (iii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, and between carbon, at the position 2 and oxygen at the position 7.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a marker for the diagnosis of a liver disease, which can determine the disease in a simple manner; an antibody directed against the marker; a diagnostic agent; a diagnosis method; and a method for marker detection in blood or serum. Proteome analysis revealed that quantities of the full-length kininogen and three partial peptides thereof (sequence A: position-440 to position-456, sequence B: position-439 to position-456, and sequence C: position-438 to position-456) in sera of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are significantly different from those in sera of healthy individuals; and a diagnostic agent and a detecting method for the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that can be conveniently used for medical examination are established.

Abstract: This invention provides an agent for inhibiting production of hepatitis C virus with notable anti-HCV activity and without side-effects. The agent comprises a proanthocyanidin polymer composition illustrated in the following the general formula (1), wherein R1 is hydrogen or hydroxyl, R2 is hydroxyl, R3 is hydrogen when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl, but R3 is possibly hydroxyl when R1 is either hydrogen or hydroxyl to the extent that both R1 and R3 being hydroxyl is at most 40 percents in the proanthocyanidin polymer composition said units of flavan-3-ol being bonded each other in any one of three patterns as follows; (i) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, (ii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 6, (iii) a bond between carbon at the position 4 and carbon at the position 8, and between carbon at the position 2 and oxygen at the position 7.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of preventing or treating liver disease, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. The present invention is directed to a method of preventing or treating liver disease comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of an osteoactivin-like protein or a fragment thereof having liver disease-suppressing activity similar to that of osteoactivin or a gene comprising a DNA encoding such a protein or fragment.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there are provided hepatic parenchymal cell growth factor obtained by recombinant DNA technology, a gene coding for the factor, an expression vector capable of expressing the gene, a cell, in particular animal cell, transformed with the expression vector, and a process for producing the hepatic parenchymal cell growth factor.

Abstract: A hepatocyte growth factor comprising a proteinous substance derived from human blood and showing the following physicochemical properties and physiologic activity:(i) its molecular weight is estimated to be approximately 76,000 to 92,00 by SDS-PAGE analysis (under non-reductive conditon);(ii) it possesses HGF activity;(iii) the HGF activity is inactivated by heat treatment for 10 minutes at 80.degree. C.;(iv) the HGF activity may be lost by digestion with trypsin or with chymotrypsin; and(v) it has a high affinity for heparin.