Journal of Pediatric Neurology and Medicine

High Mobility Group Box 1 in Children with Acute Encephalopathy and Other Convulsive Diseases

Abstract

Shingo Oana, Hisashi Kawashima*, Shinichiro Morichi, Yu Ishida, Gaku Yamanaka and Yasuyo Kashiwagi

HMGB1 is known as a representative of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which play an important role in triggering inflammatory responses. In order to know the role of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in children with acute encephalopathy and other neurological disorders we analyzed HMGB1 and other cytokines in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Comparing HMGB1 in Kawasaki disease as a control, serum levels in influenza-associated encephalopathy and West syndrome were significantly lower. However, two cases of influenza-associated encephalopathy having sequelae showed extremely high levels. The levels of HMGB1 in acute encephalopathy and purulent and aseptic meningitis in cerebrospinal fluid were low; however, they were significantly higher than those in West syndrome. Serum HMGB1 levels were correlated with those of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in cerebrospinal fluid. HMGB1 is suspected to have a pivotal role in pathophysiology of acute encephalopathy and other neurological disorders.