Plasma HMGB-1 Levels in Subjects with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

Object To detect the levels of plasma High-Mobility Group Box-1(HMGB1) in Chinese subject with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to investigate the correlations between plasma HMGB1 concentration and parameters of body fat, insulin resistance (IR) metabolism and inflammation. Methods This study recruited 79 normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects and 76 newly diagnosed T2DM patients. NGT and T2DM groups were divided into normal weight (NW) and obese (OB) subgroups respectively. Anthropometric parameters such as height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference and blood pressure were measured. Plasma concentrations of HMGB1, IL-6, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 hours post challenge plasma glucose (2hPG), serum lipid, glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1C)) and fasting insulin (FINS) were examined. The homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was performed to assess IR status. Results Plasma HMGB1 levels were higher in T2DM group than that in NGT group. The concentrations of serum HMGB1 were also higher in subjects with OB than those in subjects with NW both in NGT and T2DM groups. Plasma levels of HMGB1 were positively correlated with waist hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure, FPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, TG, IL-6 and negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) independent of age, gender and BMI. Plasma levels of HMGB1 were significantly correlated with diabetes in fully adjusted models. Conclusion Plasma HMGB1 levels were increased in Chinese subjects with pure T2DM, which might be caused by IR. Serum HMGB1 participated in the pathological process of obesity and T2DM via its proinflammatory effect.