title: Cardiovascular disease and high-mobility group box 1--is a new inflammatory killer in town?
abstract: High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1) is a nuclear protein physiologically involved in the maintaining of DNA structure in the nucleus. When tissue damage occurs, necrotic cells as well as inflammatory cells, once activated, release this protein in circulating blood, where it seems to exert a direct proinflammatory action. Thus, HMGB-1 might be involved in the pathophysiology of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease. However, the experimental evidence has not yet clarified its cardiovascular role which is still debated. Specifically, it is still not completely resolved whether HMGB-1 plays a protective or detrimental role on cardiovascular function. In this review, we consider the role of HMGB-1 in pathological conditions and comment on the role of this protein in the cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular and Immunological Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. pcirillo@unina.it
authors.forename: Plinio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giallauria
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Palma
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maresca
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ziviello
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vigorito
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trimarco
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D024243:HMGB1 Protein