title: Association between HMGB1 and COPD: A Systematic Review.
abstract: HMGB1 is an alarmin, a protein that warns and activates inflammation. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by a progressive airflow obstruction and airway inflammation. Current anti-inflammatory therapies are poorly effective in maintaining lung function and symptoms of COPD. This underlines the need for finding new molecular targets involved in disease pathogenesis in order to block pathology progression. This review aims to analyse latest advances on HMGB1 role, utilisation, and potential application in COPD. To this purpose we reviewed experimental studies that investigated this alarmin as marker as well as a potential treatment in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. In almost all the studies, it emerged that HMGB1 levels are augmented in smokers and in patients affected by COPD. It emerged that cigarette smoking, the most well-known causative factor of COPD, induces neutrophils death and necrosis. The necrosis of neutrophil cells leads to HMGB1 release, which recruits other neutrophils in a self-maintaining process. According to the results reported in the paper both inhibiting HMGB1 and its receptor (RAGE) and blocking neutrophils necrosis (inducted by cigarette smoking) could be the aim for further studies.
authors.affiliation: School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital "G. Martino", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gangemi
authors.affiliation: School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital "G. Martino", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casciaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trapani
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quartuccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, University Pole Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems (ISASI), Messina Unit, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pioggia
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Egidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Imbalzano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology*; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D024243:HMGB1 Protein; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products