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Published on: February 8, 2019
HMGB1 as a potential new marker of disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis
Maria Bucova1, Beata Majernikova2, Vladimira Durmanova2
1Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Spitalska 24, 813 72, Bratislava, Slovakia. maria.bucova@fmed.uniba.sk.
Objectives:
Neuroinflammation represents one of the two major pathological components of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of our study was to find the role of the late pro-inflammatory cytokine HMGB1 (high mobility group box) in MS pathogenesis.
Subjects And Methods:
A total of 165 patients from three MS centers in Slovakia were enrolled in the study. Patients underwent a complex clinical investigation and their plasma levels of HMGB1 were analyzed by a sandwich ELISA test.
Results:
MS patients had 4.5 times higher plasma level of HMGB1 (median, 13.529 ng/mL; IQR = 2.330-113.45) than healthy controls (median, 2.999 ng/mL; IQR = 1.686-9.844; P < 0.0001). The concentrations of HMGB1 were significantly associated with increased number of affected areas diagnosed by MRI (P < 0.0001) (the median for one affected area, 4.205 ng/mL; median for five affected areas, 17.843 ng/mL; P < 0.05). Patients with at least one active lesion in any of the affected areas in the brain had significantly higher plasma levels of HMGB1 (median, 20.118 ng/mL; IQR, 3.693-100.12) than those without any active lesion (median, 16.695 ng/mL; IQR, 3.255-113.45; P < 0.0235). We found also a very highly significant association of HMGB1 plasma levels with clinical condition expressed as EDSS (expanded disability status scale) (P < 0.0001); patients with higher EDSS had higher levels of HMGB1 (EDSS ≤ 2.5, 11.648 ng/mL vs. EDSS ≥ 3, 17.549 ng/mL; P = 0.0115).
Conclusion:
Our results suggest chronic low-grade inflammation in MS patients that correlates with clinical conditions of MS patients, and for HMGB1 as a possible target molecule in future therapy.
Insights
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is elevated in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, indicating chronic inflammation. HMGB1 levels correlate with disease severity and MRI findings, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Neurology
- Molecular Medicine
Background:
- Neuroinflammation is a key pathological feature of multiple sclerosis (MS).
- High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in various inflammatory conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS).
- To determine the correlation between plasma HMGB1 levels and clinical/radiological markers of MS.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 165 MS patients from Slovakia was studied.
- Plasma HMGB1 levels were quantified using a sandwich ELISA test.
- Clinical data and MRI findings were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- MS patients exhibited significantly higher plasma HMGB1 levels compared to healthy controls (4.5-fold increase).
- HMGB1 concentrations were positively associated with the number of MRI-detected brain lesions and active lesions.
- Elevated HMGB1 levels correlated significantly with higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores in MS patients.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests the presence of chronic low-grade inflammation in MS.
- HMGB1 plasma levels are a potential biomarker for disease activity and severity in MS.
- HMGB1 may represent a promising therapeutic target for future MS treatments.
