HGF and periodontitis: Interestingly, results showed an up-regulation of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), S100A8/A9, S100A12, interleukin (IL)-1β, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), in patients with periodontitis with a statistical significance of p<0.001 [25].