Assessment of circulatory levels of high mobility group box 1 in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo

Background The loss of pigment-producing cells causes the pigmentary skin condition vitiligo, which appears as white macules and patches on the skin. Although its exact cause is unknown, oxidative stress is widely believed to play a role. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nonhistone DNA-binding protein, is involved in cytokine production, cell division, growth, and. angiogenesis. Aim This research aimed to detect the serum level of HMGB1 in nonsegmental vitiligo patients versus healthy controls, to explore the clinical significance in terms of disease activity and severity of vitiligo. Patients and methods Forty cases of vitiligo and 40 healthy controls were included. Full history taking, detailed examinations to evaluate disease distribution and to describe vitiligo site, symmetry, clinical type, activity, and stability were conducted in all the cases. HMGB1 serum levels were measured using ELISA. Results HMGB1 was statistically significantly increased among cases compared with the control group ( P <0.0001). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between HMGB1 and vitiligo disease activity score in the vulgaris subtype as ( r =−0.500) ( P =0.018). A statistically significant negative correlation between HMGB1 with age, BMI, duration, and vitiligo area severity index. Conclusion HMGB1 level is significantly elevated in vitiligo cases and is correlated significantly with activity in the vulgaris subtype. HMGB1 could be a promising biomarker for monitoring disease activity in patients with vitiligo vulgaris and may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of vitiligo.