Increased serum high mobility group box-1 level in Churg-Strauss syndrome

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare form of systemic vasculitis occurring in patients with asthma and hypereosinophilia; however, its mechanisms involved in the severe tissue inflammation with vasculitis are poorly understood. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, originally identified as a DNA binding protein, also has potent pro-inflammatory and proangiogenic properties. In this study, we hypothesized that HMGB1 might be associated with CSS, and examined serum HMGB1 levels and compared those of asthma patients and healthy volunteers. We also investigated HMGB1 expression in the lesion, and eosinophil HMGB1 amount in CSS patients. We found that the serum HMGB1 levels in CSS patients were significantly higher than those of asthma patients and healthy volunteers. Eosinophils in the CSS lesion expressed HMGB1 and HMGB1 level in eosinophils from CSS patients was significantly higher than that of asthma patients, while there was no significant difference in HMGB1 levels in peripheral mononuclear cells. The serum HMGB1 level in CSS patients decreased after the steroid therapy, and showed significant positive correlations with several molecules, including soluble interleukin-2 receptor, soluble thrombomodulin, and eosinophil cationic protein in sera. We propose that HMGB1 might contribute to the pathogenesis of CSS.