Increased High Mobility Group Box1 (HMGB1) level in major depressive disorder

Abstract

Objective: It was reported that High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1), also known as the nuclear transcription factor, is a late mediator of inflammation. It was thought that HMGB1 has a prominent role in the activation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-alpha), Interleukin (IL)-1 beta and IL-8 which are proinflammatory mediators during inflammation. HMGB1 plays a role in progress, diagnosis and prognosis of immune system illnesses. Besides suppressing the immune system, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was indicated to cause changes in inflammatory processes. Biological determinants affecting the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of depression are quite limited. Therefore, new etiological models are needed to explain the pathophysiology of depression. There is no study in the literature investigating level of HMGB1 in MDD of the humans. This study aims to examine the role of inflammation in the etiology of depression based on the HMGB1 in patients with MDD. Methods: A total of 30 patients diagnosed with MDD were included in the study. The control group consisted of 30 healthy subjects without any psychiatric disorders. A socio-demographic information form, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGIS) were administered, and blood was taken for measurement of HMGB1 levels. Results: Significantly higher HMGB1 values were identified with the patient group when compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our study is the first in which HMGB1 level was investigated in MDD ot the humans. The findings of the study reveal that HMGB1 tends to be higher in patients with MDD, and a high HMGB1 value supports the view that inflammation might have a critical role in the etiology of MDD.