To gain insight into liver regeneration mechanisms in fulminant hepatic failure, we compared gene expression of hepatocyte growth factor, its receptor c-met, c-myc, and albumin in human normal (4 cases) and fulminant (14 cases) livers by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In normal livers, hepatocyte growth factor gene was not expressed, whereas c-met, c-myc and albumin genes were always expressed. In fulminant hepatic failure, hepatocyte growth factor gene was expressed in 1 of 14 cases, c-met in none of 14 cases, c-myc in 10 of 14 cases, and albumin in 3 of 14 cases. By immunofluorescence, c-met protein was revealed in normal but not in fulminant hepatic failure liver tissue. Liver tissue is unlikely to account for high hepatocyte growth factor plasma levels typical for fulminant hepatic failure. Lack of its receptor (c-met) expression may explain a poor response of fulminant hepatic failure livers to exogenous hepatocyte growth factor that normally promotes liver growth and regeneration.