Objective:To investigate the expression of high mobility group box-1 protein, (HMGB1) mRNA in the peripheral blood after liver transplantation and the relationship between HMGB1 and early sepsis after transplantation.
Methods:The clinical and laberatory data of 17 patients underwent liver transplantation for hepatic failure were prospectively enrolled into this study. HMGB1 mRNA of peripheral blood was detected at 30 min before transplantation and on 1, 3, 7, 14 d after transplantation by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether development of early sepsis or not. HMGB1 mRNA expression was compared between the 2 groups.
Results:The study included 14 males and 3 females, with mean age of (45.3±9.0) years (range, 31-65 years). Eight patients developed early sepsis. The mean time of diagnosis of sepsis was 5.5d（4-10 d）. HMGB1 mRNA expression in non-sepsis group was significantly elevated on 1 d after transplantation compared to that of pre-transplantation［（3.50±1.20） vs.（1.80±0.59), P=0.036］, and reached to the peak on 3 d after transplantation （7.85±3.00，P＜0.001）. Then it began to decrease and come down to the level of pre-transplantation（2.62±1.11，P=0.301）. After transplantation, HMGB1 mRNA expression in sepsis group elevated significantly on 1d ［（7.31±2.27) vs. (1.92±0.64)，P=0.002］, and maintained at high level on 14 d which was still significant higher than that of pre-transplantation（12.45±5.58, P＜0.001）. The expression of HMGB1 mRNA of sepsis group was significant higher than that of non-sepsis group after transplantation（P＜0.001）.
Conclusions:Dynamic mornitoring expression of HMGB1 may help to predict the development of early sepsis.