BACKGROUND: There is ample evidence for involvement of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether MIF levels were raised in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV). METHODS: Serum MIF levels were measured using ELISA method in 22 patients with active PV and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and the results were compared with each other. RESULTS: The mean serum MIF levels was significantly higher in PV patients than in control subjects (11.99 +/- 1.63 pg/m vs. 1.83 +/- 0.22 pg/ml; P-value = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated MIF levels in the sera of PV patients could participate in disease induction by activation of T cells as well as induction of autoantibody production by B cells. Given that MIF counter-regulates the effects of steroids, MIF antagonists may prove to be very effective, novel steroid-sparing agents for this life-threatening conundrum.
BACKGROUND: There is ample evidence for involvement of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether MIF levels were raised in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV). METHODS: Serum MIF levels were measured using ELISA method in 22 patients with active PV and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls and the results were compared with each other. RESULTS: The mean serum MIF levels was significantly higher in PV patients than in control subjects (11.99 +/- 1.63 pg/m vs. 1.83 +/- 0.22 pg/ml; P-value = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated MIF levels in the sera of PV patients could participate in disease induction by activation of T cells as well as induction of autoantibody production by B cells. Given that MIF counter-regulates the effects of steroids, MIF antagonists may prove to be very effective, novel steroid-sparing agents for this life-threatening conundrum.