High mobility group box 1 in women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss

Objectives: To investigate whether high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is involved in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (uRPL).

Methods: Plasma levels of HMGB1 were measured by ELISA in non-pregnant women with (n=44) and without (n=53 controls) uRPL. Their platelets and plasma-derived microvesicles (MVs) were also assayed for HMGB1. Endometrial biopsies were taken in selected uRPL (n=5) and control women (n=5) and the tissue expression of HMGB1 was determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results: plasma levels of HMGB1 were significantly higher in women with uRPL than in control women. HMGB1 content in platelets and MVs obtained from women with uRPL was significantly higher than that obtained from control women. HMGB1 expression in endometrium was higher in tissues obtained from women with uRPL than in tissues obtained from control women. IHC analysis revealed that HMGB1 is expressed in endometrium with different patterns between uRPL and control women.

Conclusions: HMGB1 could be involved in uRPL.