Background. Human genetic polymorphisms associated with decreased expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) have been linked to the risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods. Since Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of CAP and nasal carriage a precursor to invasive disease, we explored the role of MIF in the clearance of pneumococcal colonization in a mouse...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The role of MIF in the progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was explored using MIF-/- mice. Wild-type mice showed a progressive disease course, whereas MIF-/- mice exhibited acute signs but no further progression of clinical disease. MIF-/- mice...

Migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) is a lymphokine that acts to localize mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes and macrophages) and perhaps to activate them. Mo cells are a human T cell leukemia virus II-infected T cell line previously shown to secrete large quantities of MIF upon stimulation with phytohemagglutinin and phorbol myristate acetate. MIF was purified from Mo cell-conditioned medium by g...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) acts intracellularly to counteract the angiotensin (ANG) II type 1 receptor (AT1-R)-mediated chronotropic effect of ANG II in hypothalamic neurons, an effect mediated by the thiol-protein oxidoreductase (TPOR) activity of the MIF molecule. Here we determined the in vivo actions of MIF in regulating the physiological actions of ANG II that are mediate...

Solar ultraviolet (UV) B radiation is known to induce matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade collagen in the basement membrane. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pluripotent cytokine that plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of skin inflammation induced by UV irradiation. This study examined the effects of MIF on basement membrane damage following chronic UVB ir...

Macrophage infiltration is a critical determinant of high-fat diet induced adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. The precise mechanisms underpinning the initiation of macrophage recruitment and activation are unclear. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, displays chemokine-like properties. Circulating MIF levels are elevated during obesity how...

Macrophage-migration-inhibition factor (MIF) is an essential stimulator of mammalian T-lymphocyte-dependent adaptive immunity, hence MIF orthologues might be expressed by infectious organisms as an immunosubversive stratagem. Since MIF actively catalyses the tautomerization of the methyl ester of l-dopachrome (using dopachrome tautomerase), the occurrence of MIF orthologues in several parasitic...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) mediates pain although the mechanisms are not well understood. Urothelial activation of protease activated receptor 4 (PAR4) results in urothelial MIF release, urothelial high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release and bladder pain in mice without bladder inflammation. All three effects are prevented by MIF inhibition while intravesical disulfide HMGB1...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that reportedly counteracts the anti-inflammatory effect of endogenous glucocorticoids. There have only been a few reports that demonstrate a potential link between MIF and bronchial asthma. In an attempt to further clarify the precise role of MIF in asthma, the present authors examined the effect of anti-MIF antibody (...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pluripotent proinflammatory cytokine that is ubiquitously expressed in organs, including the heart. However, no specific role for MIF in modulating cardiac performance has yet been described. Therefore, we examined cardiac MIF expression in mice after LPS challenge (4 mg/kg) and tested the hypothesis that MIF is a mediator of LPS-induced cardiac...