High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a proinflammatory cytokine. Previous studies have suggested that HMGB1 can play an important role in the pathogenesis of many rheumatic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum levels of HMGB1 in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and its association with quality of life and psychological and functional status in these patients.

Twenty-nine patients who met the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the classification of FM and 29 healthy controls (HC) were included in the present study. Serum samples were collected from both the patients and the HC, and HMGB1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used to assess the disease severity and functional status in patients with FM. Furthermore, the Nottingham Health Profile was used to assess quality of life in all subjects, as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess depression and anxiety.

The serum levels of HMGB1 protein were positively correlated with the FIQ scores in patients with FM (P = 0.002). Mean serum levels of HMGB1 were higher in patients with FM than in HC but this difference was not statistically significant.

HMGB1 protein might be a good laboratory-sourced candidate for the assessment of functional status and disease severity in patients with FM.