Macrophage migration inhibitory factor in hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis; relevance to pathogenesis

The levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory and carcinogenic cytokine, were significantly higher in the sera from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC 25.6 +/- 15.3 ng/mi, n=55) and liver cirrhosis (LC; 18.9 +/- 10.7 ng/ml, n=26) compared with sera from patients with gastrointestinal cancer (6.8 +/-7.5 ng/ml, n=29) and normal controls (5.6 +/-1.2 ng/ml, n=45; P<0.01). Hepatocytes from patients with LC and HCC but not from chronic hepatitis, expressed very high levels of MIF A possible association between overexpression of MIF and hepatocarcinogenesis is suggested. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.