Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and risk for coronary heart disease: results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg case-cohort study, 1984-2002.
OBJECTIVE
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a central cytokine of the innate immunity, has been reported to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. MIF is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions in humans, and gene deletion and antibody inhibition studies in animal models indicated that MIF may be cause rather than consequence of atherosclerosis. We sought to assess the triangular association between MIF genotypes, circulating MIF levels and risk for incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in the large, prospective, population-based MONICA/KORA case-cohort study (Augsburg, Southern Germany).


METHODS
MIF genotypes, haplotypes and serum concentrations were determined in 363 individuals with incident CHD and 1908 individuals without CHD during follow-up (mean follow-up time 10.3 years).


RESULTS
Circulating MIF concentrations were not associated with the risk for CHD. In women, carriers of the minor alleles rs755622C and rs2070766G had a higher risk for incident CHD, and a haplotype that contained these two minor alleles was significantly associated with increased risk for CHD (HR 2.44, 95%CI 1.30-4.59).


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of association between serum levels and incident CHD indicates that MIF may not be a novel biomarker for CHD risk. However, the association of a haplotype containing the rs755622C allele, which has been reported before to increase the susceptibility for various other proinflammatory conditions, with CHD points towards a role for MIF in local vascular inflammation and atherogenesis.
Herder
Christian
C
Institute for Clinical Diabetes Research, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Institute at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Illig
Thomas
T
Baumert
Jens
J
Müller
Martina
M
Klopp
Norman
N
Khuseyinova
Natalie
N
Meisinger
Christa
C
Martin
Stephan
S
Thorand
Barbara
B
Koenig
Wolfgang
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk
D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors