title: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor: a multifunctional cytokine in rheumatic diseases.
abstract: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was originally identified in the culture medium of activated T lymphocytes as a soluble factor that inhibited the random migration of macrophages. MIF is now recognized to be a multipotent cytokine involved in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. Moreover, the pivotal nature of its involvement highlights the importance of MIF to the pathogenesis of various inflammatory disorders and suggests that blocking MIF may be a useful therapeutic strategy for treating these diseases. This paper discusses the function and expressional regulation of MIF in several rheumatic diseases and related conditions.
authors: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan.
authors: Tsuyoshi
authors: T
authors: Kasama
authors: Kumiko
authors: K
authors: Ohtsuka
authors: Michihito
authors: M
authors: Sato
authors: Ryo
authors: R
authors: Takahashi
authors: Kuninobu
authors: K
authors: Wakabayashi
authors: Kazuo
authors: K
authors: Kobayashi