Results from Fig. 2A and Table 3 showed that the serum levels of APRIL (P = 0.019), the growth factors HGF (P = 0.036) and MMP-1 (P < 0.001)], as well as the cytokines IL-16 (P = 0.041), IL-21 (P = 0.018), IL-18 (P = 0.011), and IFN-γ (P = 0.030), and the chemokines SDF-1α (P = 0.004), BLC (P = 0.038), Eotaxin-2 (P = 0.046), MIF (P = 7.0 × 10–4), IP-10 (P = 9.0 × 10–3), I-TAC (P = 0.046), MIP-1β (P < 0.001), Eotaxin-1 (P < 0.001), Fractalkine (P < 0.001) and MCP-2 (P = 6.4 × 10–3)] were significantly lower in patients with CRC who developed distant metastases. Here, HGF is linked to colorectal carcinoma.