Association Between High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein And Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis:A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Purpose: To analyze the levels of high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)protein on different courses of juvenile idiopathic arthritis(JIA).Methods: In our prospective longitudinal study,children with JIA were included with their blood samples collected at the first visit,1-month,3-month,and 6-month follow-up,respectively.Samples were also collected from healthy controls and children with reactive arthritis at the first visit.Levels of HMGB1 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Clinical disease characteristics and routine laboratory findings were analyzed as well.Results: A total of 64 children were enrolled,of whom 31(48.4%)were female.The median age at the first visit for participants with JIA was9.25 years(range,1.42-15.42)and the median duration of disease was 2.38months(range,1.53-49.31).Serum HMGB1 levels at the first visit were significantly elevated in children with systemic JIA compared with other groups,and so were in enthesitis-related arthritis versus healthy controls.Significant correlations were established at the first visit between HMGB1 levels and duration of disease,C-reactive protein,percentage of neutrophils,and ferritin.Data from all samples revealed that serum HMGB1 levels in JIA were significantly associated with erythrocyte sedimentation rates,C-reactive protein,percentage of neutrophils,and disease activity score.Conclusions: Serum HMGB1 may be associated with clinical disease activity of JIA and specifically increased at the first visit in children with systemic JIA,suggesting its function as a sensitive inflammatory marker.Further large-scale studies are warranted to explore its spectrum in JIA.