HGF and cancer: An elevated level of proinflammatory adipokine leptin, in conjunction with an increase in the levels of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), resistin, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in adiponectin, contribute to the metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, central obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, heightened cardiovascular disease risk, and increased susceptibility to cancer [8,9,10].