Elsevier

Respiratory Medicine

Volume 105, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 519-525
Respiratory Medicine

Increased levels of HMGB-1 and endogenous secretory RAGE in induced sputum from asthmatic patients

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2010.10.016Get rights and content
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Summary

Background

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1), a ligand of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), is an inflammatory mediator in various disorders. Its endogenous decoy inhibitor, endogenous secretory RAGE (esRAGE), prevents the activation of RAGE signaling, and imbalance between HMGB-1 and esRAGE is known to be a factor determining progression of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Methods

We measured HMGB-1 and esRAGE levels in induced sputum from 44 asthmatic patients and 15 normal controls, and examined their correlations with asthma indices including pulmonary function test values and induced sputum indices.

Results

HMGB-1 levels in induced sputum were significantly higher in asthmatic patients than in normal controls (p < 0.001). Similarly, esRAGE levels were significantly higher in asthmatic patients than in normal controls (p < 0.001). In asthmatic patients, HMGB-1 levels were inversely correlated with percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC). There was a significant increase in HMGB-1 level associated with severity of asthma (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant increase in esRAGE level associated with severity of asthma. In asthmatic patients, HMGB-1 levels were significantly correlated with percentage of neutrophils in induced sputum.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the HMGB-1 is a mediator of neutrophilic airway inflammation in asthma and that imbalance between HMGB-1 and esRAGE is related to the severity of asthma. Combined measurement of HMGB-1 and esRAGE may be novel biomarkers in asthma with severe airflow limitation.

Keywords

High mobility group box 1
Endogenous secretory receptor for advanced glycation end products
Asthma
Neutrophilic inflammation
Induced sputum

Abbreviations

AGEs
advanced glycation end products
esRAGE
endogenous secretory RAGE
FEV1
forced expiratory volume in 1 s
FVC
forced vital capacity
HMGB-1
high mobility group box 1
ICAM-1
intercellular adhesion molecule-1
%FEV1
percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s
RAGE
receptor for advanced glycation end products
VCAM-1
vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

Cited by (0)

The institution at which the work was performed: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University.