Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on May 16, 2006
Rheumatology 2006 45(8):937-943; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kel142
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REVIEW |
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor and glucocorticoid sensitivity
Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Monash Institute for Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia.
Correspondence to: Eric Morand, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Monash Medical Centre, Locked Bag No 29, Clayton Melbourne 3168, Australia. E-mail: eric.morand{at}med.monash.edu.au
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Treatment with GC is associated with significant dose-dependent side-effects. The pro-inflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has emerged in recent years as a candidate factor which could regulate GC sensitivity. MIF is induced by GC, and is able to override anti-inflammatory actions of GCs. In this review, we summarize the pro-inflammatory actions of MIF with respect to RA, describe the interactions between MIF and GC and examine new evidence, which identifies MIF as a specific target for steroid sparing.
KEY WORDS: MIF, Glucocorticoids, Steroid sparing, Rheumatoid arthritis