Elevated levels of HMGB1 have been observed in patients with acute pancreatitis, acute lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis, hemorrhagic shock, and ischemia-reperfusion injury (12–16), suggesting that HMGB1 is closely associated with these pathogenic processes and may be a central molecule that triggers and maintains the cascading inflammatory reactions. The gene discussed is HMGB1; the disease is injury.