title: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in bronchial asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine favouring the secretion of TNFalpha and IL-8 and counteracts anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids. Airways inflammation is a central feature of bronchial asthma and is characterized by the accumulation of eosinophils.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether MIF is related to asthma symptoms and eosinophil accumulation in the airways.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum MIF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 44 healthy subjects and 44 asthmatics. Levels of MIF in induced sputum were measured in 10 healthy subjects and 15 asthmatics. Levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in induced sputum were measured by a radioimmunosorbent assay. Fluorescence double immunostaining was conducted to examine cellular source and localization of MIF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum MIF levels were significantly increased in asthmatic patients compared with age and sex-matched control subjects. Symptomatic patients had a higher MIF level than asymptomatic patients. Induced sputum obtained from asthmatics contained higher levels of MIF than those from control subjects. MIF levels in induced sputum were correlated with ECP levels in induced sputum. MIF was colocalized with eosinophil peroxidase staining in the cytoplasm of sputum cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased MIF levels are associated with asthma symptoms and one of the cellular sources of MIF in the airways are eosinophils.
authors.affiliation: The First Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Japan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishihira
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitashiro
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hizawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamishima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D012260:Ribonucleases; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D012260:Ribonucleases