Elevation of high-mobility group box 1 concentration in asphyxiated neonates

In asphyxiated neonates, abnormal proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine production may be induced. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1) protein is a new type of proinflammatory cytokine that induces abnormal inflammatory responses involving proinflammatory cytokine production. However, the physiological significance of HMGB-1 in asphyxia is poorly understood.

We aimed to evaluate whether serum HMGB-1 levels were changed in asphyxia by measuring the serum concentration of HMGB-1 in both asphyxiated and normally delivered neonates at birth.

Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we measured the concentration of HMGB-1 in sera obtained from 53 asphyxiated neonates and 32 normally delivered neonates immediately after birth.

The serum concentrations of HMGB-1 in asphyxiated neonates were significantly higher than those in normally delivered neonates without asphyxia (p = 0.033).

We suggest that the elevation of HMGB-1 might be associated with abnormal inflammatory responses involving the excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines in neonates with asphyxia.