Objective: To explore the expression of high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in patients with acute leukemia and its significance.
Method: 20 samples of bone marrow and peripheral blood from each acute leukemia groups (newly diagnozed, relapsed and complete remission groups) and 20 samples as control from patients with no-hematologic malignancies were collected. The expression level of HMGB1 in peripheral blood plasma was determined by ELISA; HMGB1 and NF-κB level in mononuclear cells were examined by RT-PCR. Western blot was used to determine HMGB1 and NF-κB protein levels. HMGB1 and NF-κB in bone marrow smears were determined by immnohistochemistry method (IHC).
Results: The expression level of HMGB1 obviously increased in patients of newly diagnosed and relapsed groups, as compared with control group there was statistical significance (P < 0.05), but there was no obvious difference in expression level of HMGB1 between complete remission group and control group (P > 0.05). The expression level of HMGB1 and NF-kB in monnuclear cells of bone marrow in newly-diagnosed group and relapsed group was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.05), but the expression levels of HMGB1 and NF-kB in complete remisson group did not change (P > 0.05). The results of immnohistochemistry method indicated that the possitive expression of HMGB1 and NF-kB maily was found in bone marrow smears of newly diagnosed and relapsed groups.
Conclusion: HMGB1 is overexpressed in acute leukemia, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of acute leukemia by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway, HMGB1 may be a important index for observing therapeutic effectiveness and predicting recurrence of acute leukemia.