Does the serum expression level of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in multiple sclerosis patients have a relationship with physical and psychological status A 12-month follow-up study on newly diagn

Background and Aim : There is a strong need to identify simple and cost-effective biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) ligand, the High-Mobility Group Box (HMGB) 1 in newly diagnosed female MS patients and to assess the correlation between serum HMGB1 level and changes in the physical and psychological indicators of MS.Methods : During the 12-month follow-up, the serum level of HMGB1, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, rate of clinical relapse, quality of life (QoL), and other psychological indicators were assessed in three steps, i.e., at baseline, after six months, and after 12 months. Variables were compared between 60 newly diagnosed female MS patients, and 60 ages matched female healthy controls (HCs); variables were also compared within MS patients. The collected data were analyzed using an independent t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results : Fifty-nine (98.3%) female MS patients completed this study. During the 12-month follow-up, repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant decrease in the EDSS score (MD [95% CI]= 2.09 [1.8, 3.2]; P< 0.001) and a significant increase in the serum level of HMGB1 in MS patients (MD [95% CI]= 1.73 [1.2, 2.1], F= 3.41; P= 0.009). The serum level of HMGB1 was higher in MS patients, compared with HCs (baseline: 65.8%, P= 0.007; six-month follow-up: 73.9%, P= 0.004; and 12-month follow-up: 77.6%, P= 0.021). The serum level of HMGB1 in disease-modifying drug (DMD)-negative patients was 48.64% higher than that of the DMD-treated group (P= 0.001) and 83% higher than that of HCs (P= 0.01); however, no significant difference was found between DMD and HC groups. The serum HMGB1 level was not correlated with the EDSS score (r= 0.322, P= 0.18). However, there were significant positive correlations between the serum level of HMGB1 and scores of MS Impact Scale-Psychological Subscale (MSIS-PS) (r= 0.59, P< 0.001), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (r= 0.491, P= 0.031), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (r= 0.471, P= 0.035).Conclusion : The present findings indicated the role of HMGB1 in MS, particularly in DMD-negative patients. The serum level of HMGB1 could predict the patients’ psychiatric status better than their physical status. However, the role of HMGB1 level in MS pathology and psychiatric status warrants further investigations.

کلیدواژه ها:

Biomarker ، Inflammation ، High mobility group box protein 1 ، Disease-modifying drug ، Multiple Sclerosis