Elevated SCF levels in the serum of patients with chronic renal failure

Serum stem cell factor (SCF) and soluble KIT (sKIT) levels were estimated in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and anaemia, and compared with clinical parameters of blood cells and renal function. Serum SCF levels in CRF patients were 5-fold higher than those in healthy controls. However, serum sKIT levels in haemodialysis (HD)-CRF patients were only slightly higher than those of healthy controls. In untreated CRF patients and healthy controls, serum SCF levels were significantly correlated with blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, haemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) count and sKIT. In untreated CRF patients, serum SCF levels were significantly correlated with BUN, creatinine, and sKIT. These results suggest that serum SCF levels increased with the deterioration of renal function and might be related to erythropoiesis.