Cytokines are mediators of inflammation induced in the course of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) is a cytokine playing an important role in the pathogenesis of numerous inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the HMGB1 gene expression in the course of CDI. We have performed a prospective case-control study- including 55 adult patients, among them 27 with CDI, who were hospitalized from October 2018 to February 2020 and 28 healthy volunteers. We assessed: a complete blood count with differential leukocyte count, blood creatinine, albumin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Then, the expression of the HMGB1 gene was evaluated using quantitative Real-Time PCR. Patients with CDI were found to have a significant increase in white blood cells (WBC), neutrophil count, and CRP levels, they also exhibited decreased levels of albumin compared with controls. The HMGB1 gene expression was significantly lower among patients with CDI compared with the control group and significantly, inversely correlated with CRP level in blood. In conclusion, we have observed a decreased expression of the HMGB1 gene in peripheral blood of patients with mild or moderate CDI, which hypothetically could reflect their diminished capability to fight the pathogen.

中文翻译：

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轻度或中度艰难梭菌感染患者外周血中高迁移率族框1（HMGB1）基因的表达降低。

细胞因子是艰难梭状芽胞杆菌感染（CDI）过程中诱导的炎症介质。高迁移率族框1（HMGB1）是一种细胞因子，在多种炎症和自身免疫性疾病的发病机理中起着重要作用。该研究的目的是评估CDI过程中HMGB1基因的表达。我们进行了一项前瞻性病例对照研究-包括55名成年患者（其中27名患有CDI）（2018年10月至2020年2月住院）和28名健康志愿者。我们评估：全血细胞计数，白细胞计数，血肌酐，白蛋白和C反应蛋白（CRP）水平不同。然后，HMGB1的表达使用定量实时PCR评估基因。发现患有CDI的患者白细胞（WBC），中性粒细胞计数和CRP水平显着增加，与对照组相比，他们的白蛋白水平也降低。与对照组相比，CDI患者中的HMGB1基因表达显着降低，并且与血液中CRP水平呈显着负相关。总之，我们已经观察到轻度或中度CDI患者外周血中HMGB1基因的表达降低，这可能反映了他们对抗病原体的能力下降。