However, our previous work found that HMGB1 levels were not only increased in AS patients but also significantly positively correlated with BASDAI, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), BASFI, CRP, and ESR, and were correlated with the expression of HMGB1 receptors such as TLR2, TLR4, and IL-1RACP in the PBMC of AS patients (89). Here, CRP is linked to spondylitis.