title: Diagnostic value of serum concentrations of high-mobility group-box protein 1 and soluble hemoglobin scavenger receptor in brucellosis.
abstract: Both cluster of differentiation (CD)4(+)  and CD8(+)  T lymphocytes play key roles in immunity to Brucella, in part because they secrete interferon (IFN)-γ and activate bactericidal functions in macrophages. Therefore, use of markers of macrophage activation may have diagnostic and prognostic significance. High-mobility group-box 1 protein (HMGB1), a late-onset pro-inflammatory cytokine, is secreted by activated macrophages. Soluble hemoglobin scavenger receptor (sCD163) is a specific marker of anti-inflammatory macrophages. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of HMGB1 and sCD163 concentrations in brucellosis and its various clinical forms. Serum HMGB1 and sCD163 concentrations in 49 brucellosis patients were compared with those in 52 healthy control subjects. Both serum HMGB1 and sCD163 concentrations were significantly higher in brucellosis patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in serum concentrations of HMGB1 and sCD163 between cases of acute, subacute and chronic brucellosis. Additionally, serum HMGB1 concentrations were positively correlated with sCD163 concentrations, whereas neither HMGB1 nor sCD163 concentrations were correlated with C-reactive protein concentrations, white cell counts or erythrocyte sedimentation rates. Therefore, serum concentrations of HMGB1 and sCD163 may be diagnostic markers for brucellosis, but neither can be used to differentiate the three different forms of this disease (acute, subacute and chronic).
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe Oğuz
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ayarcı
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sığırlı
authors.forename: Ferah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Budak
authors.forename: Güher
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Göral
authors.forename: Haluk Barbaros
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Oral
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002002:Brucella / Q000276:immunology*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*; D000098902:CD163 Antigen
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D015415:Biomarkers; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; D024243:HMGB1 Protein; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D002097:C-Reactive Protein