title: Plasma high mobility group box 1 protein reflects fibrosis in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 3-12% of the general pediatric population. HMGB1 protein is presently considered a potent inflammatory mediator in several liver diseases, even if its role in NAFLD is still unknown in clinical studies. Here we investigated the relationships between circulating HMGB1, TGF-β and MCP-1 and liver damage in pediatric NAFLD. HMGB1, TGF-β and MCP-1 plasma levels were measured in 110 obese children with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 40 age-matched obese controls. HMGB1, TGF-β and MCP-1, ALT, AST and cholesterol plasma levels were significantly higher in NAFLD than in control children. A significant association between increased levels of HMGB1, TGF-β and MCP-1 and high degrees of fibrosis was found. In this study, we showed for the first time that circulating levels of HMGB1 were raised in children with NAFLD and strongly correlated with fibrosis and systemic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Hepato-Metabolic Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alisi
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Panera
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Stefanis
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Vito
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bedogni
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balsano
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cucchiara
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stronati
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D024243:HMGB1 Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta
keywords: TGF β; high mobility group box 1; liver fibrosis; monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease