The present studies were designed to compare the relative release of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), cathepsin S, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and interleukin 18 (IL-18) by adipocytes as compared with the non-fat cells present in subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue from morbidly obese gastric bypass patients as compared with obese abdominoplasty patients. The release of IL-1Ra, cathepsin S, and MIF by explants of human adipose tissue incubated for 48 hours averaged 6, 9, and 19 pmol/g, respectively, and was far greater than the release of NGF (0.05 pmol/g) or IL-18 (0.006 pmol/g). The release by human adipocytes of IL-1Ra, cathepsin S, and MIF was 0.13, 0.32, and 2.6 pmol/g, respectively, over 48 hours, whereas NGF release was 0.003 and IL-18 0.001 pmol/g. Only the total release of MIF by human adipose tissue explants was enhanced, whereas that of IL-18 was significantly reduced in explants from morbidly obese women. Most of (55%-73%) the release of IL-1Ra, cathepsin S, MIF, NGF, and IL-18 was by the adipose tissue matrix, whereas release by stromal-vascular (SV) cells was 3% to 28% of total release over 48 hours by the adipose tissue matrix, SV cells and adipocytes. The release of NGF by adipocytes was 42%, that of MIF was 27%, and for the other factors 15% or less of release over 48 hours by the adipose tissue matrix, SV cells, and adipocytes. Our results suggest that the non-fat cells in human adipose tissue contribute to most of the release of NGF, IL-18, IL-1Ra, cathepsin S, and MIF seen during primary culture of adipose tissue explants from obese women.

OBJECTIVE

Hirsutism is most often caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS patients are characterized by insulin resistance, abdominal obesity and low-grade inflammation. Insulin sensitizing treatment reduces the inflammatory state, but the effect on serum levels of migration inhibitor factor (MIF), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha have not been evaluated before in PCOS.

METHODS

Plasma chemokine levels (MCP-1, MIP-1alpha and MIF) were measured in two study designs. (i) 51 hirsute patients and 63 matched controls and (ii) 30 PCOS patients before and after randomized treatment with 30 mg pioglitazone/placebo for 16 weeks. Clinical evaluations and whole body DXA-scans were performed in all participants.

RESULTS

Hirsute patients (n = 51) had significantly increased MCP-1 [121 (15-950) vs. 81 (18-365) pg/ml; P < 0.05] and MIP-1alpha[179 (8-4202) vs. 103 (4-1598) pg/ml; P < 0.05] than controls of matched body composition [geometric mean (-2SD to +2SD)]. In PCOS (n = 30), MCP-1, MIP-1alpha and MIF correlated positively with central fat mass. A BMI independent positive association was found between MIF and free testosterone (r = 0.49, P = 0.01) in PCOS. Pioglitazone treatment significantly improved insulin sensitivity without affecting testosterone, body composition, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha and MIF levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemokine levels were significantly increased and showed close associations with measures of adiposity in PCOS patients, but were unchanged during insulin sensitizing treatment with pioglitazone. Our data suggests a fat mass independent association between testosterone and MIF levels in PCOS and the effect of anti-androgen treatment on chemokine levels needs to be examined.

BACKGROUND

The role and mechanism of action of MIF in hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (HALI) in the newborn lung are not known. We hypothesized that MIF is a critical regulatory molecule in HALI in the developing lung.

METHODS

We studied newborn wild type (WT), MIF knockout (MIFKO), and MIF lung transgenic (MIFTG) mice in room air and hyperoxia exposure for 7 postnatal (PN) days. Lung morphometry was performed and mRNA and protein expression of vascular mediators were analyzed.

RESULTS

MIF mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased in WT lungs at PN7 of hyperoxia exposure. The pattern of expression of Angiopoietin 2 protein (in MIFKO>WT>MIFTG) was similar to the mortality pattern (MIFKO>WT>MIFTG) in hyperoxia at PN7. In room air, MIFKO and MIFTG had modest but significant increases in chord length, compared to WT. This was associated with decreased expression of Angiopoietin 1 and Tie 2 proteins in the MIFKO and MIFTG, as compared to the WT control lungs in room air. However, on hyperoxia exposure, while the chord length was increased from their respective room air controls, there were no differences between the 3 genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

These data point to the potential roles of Angiopoietins 1, 2 and their receptor Tie2 in the MIF-regulated response in room air and upon hyperoxia exposure in the neonatal lung.

BACKGROUND

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapies have had positive outcomes in animal models of cardiovascular diseases. However, the number and function of MSCs decline with age, reducing their ability to contribute to endogenous injury repair. The potential of stem cells to restore damaged tissue in older individuals can be improved by specific pretreatment aimed at delaying senescence and improving their regenerative properties. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a proinflammatory cytokine that modulates age-related signaling pathways, and hence is a good candidate for rejuvenative function.

METHODS

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) were isolated from young (6-month-old) or aged (24-month-old) male donor rats. Cell proliferation was measured using the CCK8 cell proliferation assay; secretion of VEGF, bFGF, HGF, and IGF was assessed by RT-qPCR and ELISA. Apoptosis was induced by hypoxia and serum deprivation (hypoxia/SD) for up to 6 hr, and examined by flow cytometry. Expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and forkhead box class O 3a (FOXO3a) were detected by Western blotting. CD74 expression was assayed using RT-qPCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that MSCs isolated from the bone marrow of aged rats displayed reduced proliferative capacity, impaired ability to mediate paracrine signaling, and lower resistance to hypoxia/serum deprivation-induced apoptosis, when compared to younger MSCs. Interestingly, pretreatment of aged MSCs with MIF enhanced their growth, paracrine function and survival. We detected enhanced secretion of VEGF, bFGF, HGF, and IGF from MIF-treated MSCs using ELISA. Finally, we show that hypoxia/serum deprivation-induced apoptosis is inhibited in aged MSCs following MIF exposure. Next, we found that the mechanism underlying the rejuvenating function of MIF involves increased CD74-dependent phosphorylation of AMPK and FOXO3a. Furthermore, this effect was abolished when CD74, AMPK, or FOXO3a expression was silenced using small-interfering RNAs(siRNA).

CONCLUSIONS

MIF can rejuvenate MSCs from a state of age-induced senescence by interacting with CD74 and subsequently activating AMPK-FOXO3a signaling pathways. Pretreatment of MSCs with MIF may have important therapeutic implications in restoration or rejuvenation of endogenous bone marrow-MSCs in aged individuals.

The presence and tissue localization of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in human skin were examined. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that MIF mRNA was expressed in both surgically obtained normal human epidermis and primary cultured human keratinocytes. The expression of MIF was further confirmed by Western blot analysis, which demonstrated a single band at about 12.5 kDa using a polyclonal antibody against human recombinant MIF. Immunohistochemical studies showed that MIF existed in human epidermis, especially in the basal layer. The pathophysiological role of MIF in human skin remains undefined; however, the present results indicate that MIF may play an important role in immunity, inflammation and cellular differentiation of epidermal cells.

Liver is unique in its capability to regenerate after an injury. Liver regeneration after a 2/3 partial hepatectomy served as a classical model and is adopted frequently to study the mechanism of liver regeneration. In the present study, semiquantitative analysis of protein expression in mouse liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy was performed using an iTRAQ technique. Proteins from pre-PHx control livers and livers regenerating for 24, 48 and 72 h were extracted and inspected using 4-plex isotope labeling, followed by liquid chromatography fractionation, mass spectrometry and statistical differential analysis. A total of 827 proteins were identified in this study. There were 270 proteins for which quantitative information was available at all the time points in both biologically duplicate experiments. Among the 270 proteins, Car3, Mif, Adh1, Lactb2, Fabp5, Es31, Acaa1b and LOC100044783 were consistently down-regulated, and Mat1a, Dnpep, Pabpc1, Apoa4, Oat, Hpx, Hp and Mt1 were up-regulated by a factor of at least 1.5 from that of the controls at one time point or more. The regulation of each differential protein was also demonstrated by monitoring its time-dependent expression changes during the regenerating process. We believe this is the first report to profile the protein changes in liver regeneration utilizing the iTRAQ proteomic technique.

cDNAs were obtained for macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF)/L-dopachrome methyl ester tautomerase homologues from the parasitic nematodes Trichinella spiralis (TsMIF) and Trichuris trichiura (TtMIF). The translated sequences, which were partly confirmed by sequencing of proteolytic fragments, show 42 and 44% identity respectively with human or mouse MIF, and are shorter by one C-terminal residue. Unlike vertebrate MIF and MIF homologues of filarial nematodes, neither TsMIF nor TtMIF contain cysteine residues. Soluble recombinant TsMIF, expressed in Escherichia coli showed secondary structure (by CD spectroscopy) and quaternary structure (by light-scattering and gel filtration) similar to that of the trimeric mammalian MIFs and D-dopachrome tautomerase. The catalytic specificity of recombinant TsMIF in the ketonization of phenylpyruvate (1.4x10(6) M(-1) x s(-1)) was comparable with that of human MIF, while that of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (9.1x10(4) M(-1) x s(-1)) was 71-fold lower. TsMIF showed high specificity in tautomerization of the methyl ester of L-dopachrome compared with non-esterified L-dopachrome (>87000-fold) and a high kcat (approximately 4x10(4) s(-1). The crystal structure, determined to 1.65 A (1 A=0.1 nm), was generally similar to that of human MIF, but differed in the boundaries of the putative active-site pocket, which can explain the low activity towards p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate. The central pore was blocked, but was continuous, with the three putative tautomerase sites. Recombinant TsMIF (5 ng/ml-5 pg/ml) inhibited migration of human peripheral-blood mononuclear cells in a manner similar to that shown by human MIF, but had no effect from 5 to 500 ng/ml on anti-CD3-stimulated murine T-cell proliferation. TsMIF was detected in supernatants of T. spiralis larvae cultured in vitro at 6 ng/ml (55 ng/mg total secreted protein). In conclusion TsMIF has structural, catalytic and cell-migration-inhibitory properties which indicate that it is partially orthologous to mammalian MIF.

The Finnish DPS (Diabetes Prevention Study) demonstrated that lifestyle intervention, aimed at increasing physical activity, improving diet, and decreasing body weight, reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes in individuals with overweight and impaired glucose tolerance by 58%. Here, we studied which immunological markers at baseline predicted subsequent type 2 diabetes and whether there are immunologically defined subsets of subjects who are more or less responsive to the protective effects of lifestyle intervention. We randomly assigned 522 participants to a control group (n = 257) or a lifestyle intervention group (n = 265). Immunological parameters at baseline included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A, interleukin-6, regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule. In the control group, CRP was the best immunological predictor for progression to overt type 2 diabetes. In the intervention group, progression to type 2 diabetes was significantly higher in subjects with the highest RANTES concentrations and was lower in subjects with the highest MIF levels. Ratios of RANTES to MIF in the upper tertile were highly predictive of incident type 2 diabetes in the intervention group (P = 0.006), whereas the association was less pronounced in the control group (P = 0.088). Thus, systemic concentrations of immune mediators appear to be associated with the progression to type 2 diabetes and the prevention of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle changes.

The cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) mediates several immune and inflammatory processes through unknown or poorly understood mechanisms. The protein shares structural homology with two bacterial isomerases, 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4-OT) and 5-(carboxymethyl)-2-hydroxymuconate isomerase (CHMI), and catalyzes the enolization of phenylpyruvate and the ketonization of (p-hydroxyphenyl)pyruvate. The amino-terminal proline has been identified as the catalytic base in both the 4-OT- and CHMI-catalyzed reactions. MIF also has an amino-terminal proline that has been implicated as a catalytic group in the MIF-catalyzed reaction. To delineate further the role of Pro-1 in the MIF-catalyzed reaction, affinity labeling studies were performed with 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP). The results of this study show that 3-BP acts as an active-site-directed irreversible inhibitor of the enzymatic activity and modifies one site per monomeric subunit. The inhibitor, as its lactyl derivative, is covalently attached to an 11 residue amino-terminal fragment, Pro-1 to Arg-11. The only reasonable site for alkylation within this peptide fragment is the amino-terminal proline. Because the pKa measured for the pH dependence of kinact/KI (5.7 +/- 0.2) and that measured for the pH dependence of the kcat/Km for the enolization of phenylpyruvate (6.0 +/- 0.1) are comparable and in reasonable agreement with the previously measured pKa of Pro-1 (5.6 +/- 0.1) obtained by its direct titration [Swope, M., Sun H.-W., Blake, P., and Lolis, E. (1998) EMBO J. (in press)], it is concluded that Pro-1 acts as the general base catalyst in the MIF-catalyzed reaction. The structural and mechanistic parallels place 4-OT, CHMI, and MIF in a superfamily of enzymes related by their ability to catalyze the keto-enol tautomerization of a pyruvyl moiety.

We raised monoclonal antibodies against human macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and developed a one-step sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method highly specific for human MIF. The ELISA system utilizes a solid phase monoclonal antibody as a capture antibody and a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated monoclonal antibody as a detector antibody. We used this ELISA method to evaluate the serum level of MIF in 240 healthy volunteers (140 males and 100 females). We found no significant difference in MIF concentration with respect to age. A significant difference was found with respect to sex, with the mean value (+/- SD) for male subjects of 5.3+/-2.3, and that for female subjects of 4.6+/-2.3 ng/ml (p<0.05). We next measured the serum MIF contents of patients with autoimmune diseases, and found that MIF levels were significantly elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, 20.0+/-11.0 ng/ml and 21. 7+/-11.2 ng/ml, respectively. Using anti-MIF antibody-immobilized sepharose column chromatography, we discovered for the first time that MIF was present in erythrocytes. Taken together these results suggest that MIF plays a major role in autoimmune diseases and, moreover, potentially induces various patho-logical outcomes in cases of hemolytic disorders.

CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells have gained much attention due to their roles in tumor immunity suppression as well as promotion of angiogenesis, invasion, and metastases. However, the mechanisms by which CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells recruit to the tumor site have not been well clarified. In the present study, we showed that hypoxia could stimulate the migration of CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells through increased production of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)- and HIF-2α-dependent MIF regulated chemotaxis, differentiation, and pro-angiogenic function of CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells through binding to CD74/CXCR2, and CD74/CXCR4 complexes, and then activating p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathways. Knockdown (KD) of HIF-1α and HIF-2α in HNSCC cells decreased MIF level but failed to inhibit the CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cell migration, because HIF-1α/2α KD enhanced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activity that increased IL-6 secretion. Simultaneously blocking NF-κB and HIF-1α/HIF-2α had better inhibitory effect on CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cell recruitment in the hypoxic zone than individually silencing HIF-1α/2α or NF-κB. In conclusion, the interaction between HIF-α/MIF and NF-κB/IL-6 axes plays an important role in the hypoxia-induced accumulation of CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid cells and tumor growth in HNSCC.

CD74, the cell-surface form of the MHC class II invariant chain, is a key inflammatory factor that is involved in various immune-mediated diseases as part of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) binding complex. However, little is known about the natural regulators of CD74 in this context. In order to study the role of the HLA-DR molecule in regulating CD74, we used the HLA-DRα1 domain, which was shown to bind to and downregulate CD74 on CD11b(+) monocytes. We found that DRα1 directly inhibited binding of MIF to CD74 and blocked its downstream inflammatory effects in the spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Potency of the DRα1 domain could be destroyed by trypsin digestion but enhanced by addition of a peptide extension (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein [MOG]-35-55 peptide) that provided secondary structure not present in DRα1. These data suggest a conformationally sensitive determinant on DRα1-MOG that is responsible for optimal binding to CD74 and antagonism of MIF effects, resulting in reduced axonal damage and reversal of ongoing clinical and histological signs of EAE. These results demonstrate natural antagonist activity of DRα1 for MIF that was strongly potentiated by the MOG peptide extension, resulting in a novel therapeutic, DRα1-MOG-35-55, that within the limitations of the EAE model may have the potential to treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor represents a key cytokine in human diseases. It plays an important role in both innate and acquired immunity and has been shown to be a key mediator of inflammatory diseases. More recently MIF has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis. Over the decades its structure and functions have been elucidated and this has led to it being further classified as a hormone and an enzyme. It has isomerase enzymatic activity and increasing evidence implicates this activity in inflammatory disease. Consequently, there is increasing interest in developing small molecular weight inhibitors which could target this novel enzymatic activity in disease. (c) 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) shows highly invasive and metastatic features. This study aims to investigate macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)-induced invasion of NPC cells in vitro and the effects on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), and to study the mechanism of tumor cell invasion and metastasis in the early stage of NPC.

METHODS

Two nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines, CNE-1 and CNE-2, were adopted in this study. The NPC cell invasion and migration were evaluated by microinvasion assay. The variation of expression percentages of MMP2- or MMP9-positive cells was detected by flow cytometry in two cell lines with or without MIF treatment. Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to assay the protein and mRNA expressions of MMP2 and MMP9. The IL-8 concentration secreted by NPC cells was compared with the cells with different treatments using ELISA.

RESULTS

After treating with MIF for 48 hours, the cell numbers of CNE-1 and CNE-2 which went through the 8-microm filter membrane were increased. Compared with non-MIF treated NPC cells, significant difference could be found both in CNE-1 (P = 0.005) and CNE-2 cells (P = 0.001). The percentages of MMP9-positive cells were significantly increased in both CNE-1 [from (28.5 +/- 2.5)% to (82.4 +/- 3.5)%, P = 0.001] and CNE-2 [from (32.8 +/- 3.5)% to (86.1 +/- 1.6)%, P = 0.002]. The relative intensity of MMP9 protein expression was also enhanced in both cell lines (CNE-1: from 83.1 +/- 6.0 to 242.9 +/- 22.9, P = 0.002; CNE-2: from 84.4 +/- 4.3 to 278.9 +/- 29.7, P = 0.003). Correspondingly, the increased MMP9 mRNA expression level was significantly detectable in both cell lines. The concentration of IL-8 in the supernatant of CNE-2 was higher [(1201.8 +/- 593.3) pg/ml] after treatment. It was also remarkably higher than that in the supernatant of CNE-2 without treatment (P = 0.026). However, there was no significant difference in the concentration variation of IL-8 in CNE-1 (P = 0.581), while the IL-8 mRNA level was only enhanced in CNE-2.

CONCLUSIONS

MIF can induce potent invasion of NPC cell lines in vitro, and the infiltrating lymphocytes in NPC might be responsible for the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. MIF cytokine which is secreted by these infiltrating lymphocytes might contribute to the invasion as well as metastasis of NPC in the early stages by induction of MMP9 and IL-8 in an indirect pathway.

The morphologic events associated with the immunologic rejection by strain 2 guinea pigs of ascites variants of two lines of diethylnitrosamine-induced tumors have been studied by light and electron microscopy. Tumor injection sites in the skin of control animals exhibited clusters of viable, actively mitotic tumor cells along with a modest inflammatory infiltrate composed of lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and rare basophils. In contrast, similar injections of either tumor line in specifically sensitized guinea pigs elicited typical delayed-type skin reactions associated with tumor cell necrosis and a more extensive inflammatory infiltrate including a selective increase in the number of basophilic leukocytes (12%, line 1, or 23%, line 10, of total inflammatory cells). That basophils may have a role in tumor resistance in vivo is suggested by the close anatomic associations observed between basophils and tumor cells, and by the fact that basophils were the only inflammatory cell to demonstrate a relative increase in frequency in the lesions of sensitized as compared with control animals. Moreover, intraperitoneal injection of line 1 tumor in specifically sensitized animals elicited a striking basophilia within 24 h. Unlike macrophages, basophils did not phagocytose tumor cells but did evidence occasional extrusion of granules and frequently exhibited loss of granule staining density, a change that may be related to release of mediator substances. Electron microscope studies of line 1 tumor rejection in the peritoneal cavities of specifically sensitized guinea pigs demonstrated aggregations of "activated" macrophages, lymphocytes, basophils, and damaged or dead tumor cells. These aggregates, held together by complex interdigitations of macrophage villi, closely resembled those occurring in vitro among peritoneal exudate cells whose migration from capillary tubes was inhibited by migration inhibition factor (MIF). Moreover, cells in these aggregates, as well as macrophages inhibited by MIF in vitro, lacked a normal coating of cell surface material.

To identify biomarkers of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), we analyzed the serum profiles of cytokines, chemokines and apoptotic molecules in different subtypes of MS including clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and correlated their levels with clinical and volumetric MRI findings obtained over a one-year follow up. Upregulated levels of apoptotic sFas molecule were found in MS patients with a worsening EDSS score and an accumulation of hypointense lesions in MRI. In such patients, the levels of MIF appeared to be higher than in non-progressing patients. In addition, increased levels of serum TNF-α and CCL2 were found especially in primary progressive MS (PPMS). These observations suggest that serum Fas and MIF are candidate biomarkers of neurological worsening related to progressive neurodegeneration, while serum TNF-α and CCL2 reflect the presence of inflammatory responses in PPMS.

Respiratory syncytial viral (RSV) infections are a frequent cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, which are a major factor in disease progression and mortality. RSV is able to evade antiviral defenses to persist in the lungs of COPD patients. Though RSV infection has been identified in COPD, its contribution to cigarette smoke-induced airway inflammation and lung tissue destruction has not been established. Here we examine the long-term effects of cigarette smoke exposure, in combination with monthly RSV infections, on pulmonary inflammation, protease production and remodeling in mice. RSV exposures enhanced the influx of macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes to the airways of cigarette smoke exposed C57BL/6J mice. This infiltration of cells was most pronounced around the vasculature and bronchial airways. By itself, RSV caused significant airspace enlargement and fibrosis in mice and these effects were accentuated with concomitant smoke exposure. Combined stimulation with both smoke and RSV synergistically induced cytokine (IL-1α, IL-17, IFN-γ, KC, IL-13, CXCL9, RANTES, MIF and GM-CSF) and protease (MMP-2, -8, -12, -13, -16 and cathepsins E, S, W and Z) expression. In addition, RSV exposure caused marked apoptosis within the airways of infected mice, which was augmented by cigarette smoke exposure. RSV and smoke exposure also reduced protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and protein tyrosine phosphates (PTP1B) expression and activity. This is significant as these phosphatases counter smoke-induced inflammation and protease expression. Together, these findings show for the first time that recurrent RSV infection markedly enhances inflammation, apoptosis and tissue destruction in smoke-exposed mice. Indeed, these results indicate that preventing RSV transmission and infection has the potential to significantly impact on COPD severity and progression.

During the past few years, the biological functions of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) have been extensively re-evaluated. This has been found to be protein involved in broad-spectrum pathophysiological states as an inflammatory cytokine, pituitary-derived hormone, and glucocorticoid-induced immunomodulator. In this study, we investigated the involvement of this cytokine in the pathogenesis of lethal liver injury. Injecting a small dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-primed Jcl:ICR mice caused a lethal hepatic injury mimicking fulminant hepatitis, in which 8 of 11 mice died within 48 hours (27% survival rate). Massive necrosis of parenchymal hepatocytes with marked mononuclear cell infiltration was observed by histological examination. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that most of the infiltrating mononuclear cells were Kupffer cells, macrophages, and, to a lesser extent, T cells. In parallel, serum aminotransferase and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were increased. When an anti-MIF polyclonal antibody (0.3 mg IgG fraction/mouse) was intraperitoneally injected into mice primed with BCG, it protected them from acute hepatic failure (90% survival rate) with concomitant improvement of histological features. Injection of the antibody also suppressed the up-regulation of TNF-alpha and T-cell infiltration induced by LPS. Taken together, these results suggested that treatment with the anti-MIF antibody suppresses the endotoxin-induced fatal hepatic failure by regulating production of inflammatory cytokines and T-cell infiltration.

Severe sepsis is the leading cause of mortality in intensive care units. The limited ability of current therapies to reduce sepsis mortality rates has fueled research efforts for the development of novel treatment strategies. Through the close collaboration between clinicians and scientists, progress can be seen in the struggle to develop effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of sepsis and other immune and inflammatory disorders. Indeed, significant advances in intensive care, such as lung protective mechanical ventilation, improved antibiotics, and superior monitoring of systemic perfusion, are improving patient survival. Nonetheless, specific strategies that target the pathophysiological disorders in sepsis patients are essential to further improve clinical outcomes. This article reviews current clinical management approaches and experimental interventions that target pleiotropic or late-acting inflammatory mediators like caspases, C5a, MIF, and HMGB1, or the body's endogenous inflammatory control mechanisms such as the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. These inflammatory mediators and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, respectively, show significant potential for the development of new experimental therapies for the treatment of severe sepsis and other infectious and inflammatory disorders.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a proinflammatory cytokine, originally discovered for its eponymous effect and now known for pleiotropic biologic properties in immunology and oncology. Circulating MIF levels are elevated in several types of human cancer including prostate cancer. MIF is released presumably by both stromal and tumor cells and enhances malignant growth and metastasis by diverse mechanisms, such as stimulating tumor cell proliferation, suppressing apoptotic death, facilitating invasion of the extracellular matrix, and promoting angiogenesis. Recently described fully human anti-MIF antibodies were tested in vitro and in vivo for their ability to influence growth rate and invasion of the human PC3 prostate cancer cell line. In vitro, the selected candidate antibodies BaxG03, BaxB01, and BaxM159 reduced cell growth and viability by inhibiting MIF-induced phosphorylation of the central kinases p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase [extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2)] and protein kinase B (AKT). Incubation of cells in the presence of the antibodies also promoted activation of caspase-3/7. The antibodies furthermore inhibited MIF-promoted invasion and chemotaxis as transmigration through Matrigel along a MIF gradient was impaired. In vivo, pharmacokinetic parameters (half-life, volume of distribution, and bioavailability) of the antibodies were determined and a proof-of-concept was obtained in a PC3-xenograft mouse model. Treatment with human anti-MIF antibodies blunted xenograft tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner. We therefore conclude that the anti-MIF antibodies described neutralize some of the key tumor-promoting activities of MIF and thus limit tumor growth in vivo.

This review deals with the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its receptor, CD74. MIF and CD74 have been shown to regulate peripheral B cell survival and were associated with tumor progression and metastasis. CD74 expression has been suggested to serve as a prognostic factor in many cancers, with higher relative expression of CD74 behaving as a marker of tumor progression. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, binding of MIF to CD74 induces nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and up-regulation of TAp63 expression, resulting in the secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8), which in turn promotes cell survival. In addition, TAp63 expression elevates expression of the integrin VLA-4, particularly during the advanced stage of the disease. Blocking of CD74, TAp63, or VLA-4 inhibits the in vivo homing of CLL cells to the BM. Thus, CD74 and its target genes, TAp63 and VLA-4, facilitate migration of CLL cells back to the BM, where they interact with the supportive BM environment that helps rescue them from apoptosis. These results are expected to pave the way toward novel therapeutic strategies aimed at interrupting this survival pathway. One such agent, the monocolonal antibody milatuzumab directed at CD74, is already being studied in early clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the value of individual and combinations of ovarian cancer associated blood biomarkers for the discrimination between plasma of patients with type I or II ovarian cancer and disease-free volunteers.

METHODS

Levels of 14 currently promising ovarian cancer-related biomarkers, including CA125, macrophage inhibitory factor-1 (MIF-1), leptin, prolactin, osteopontin (OPN), insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), autoantibodies (AAbs) to eight proteins: p53, NY-ESO-1, p16, ALPP, CTSD, B23, GRP78, and SSX, were measured in the plasma of 151 ovarian cancer patients, 23 with borderline ovarian tumors, 55 with benign tumors and 75 healthy controls.

RESULTS

When examined individually, seven candidate biomarkers (MIF, Prolactin, CA-125, OPN, Leptin, IGF-II and p53 AAbs) had significantly different plasma levels between type II ovarian cancer patients and healthy controls. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves constructed and area under the curve (AUC) calculated, CA125 exhibited the greatest power to discriminate the plasma samples of type II cancer patients from normal volunteers (AUC 0.9310), followed by IGF-II (AUC 0.8514), OPN (AUC 0.7888), leptin (AUC 0.7571), prolactin (AUC 0.7247), p53 AAbs (AUC 0.7033), and MIF (AUC 0.6992). p53 AAbs levels exhibited the lowest correlation with CA125 levels among the six markers, suggesting the potential of p53 AAbs as a biomarker independent of CA125. Indeed, p53 AAbs increased the AUC of ROC curve to the greatest extent when combining CA125 with one of the other markers. At a fixed specificity of 100%, the addition of p53 AAbs to CA125 increased sensitivity from 73.8% to 85.7% to discriminate type II cancer patients from normal controls. Notably, seropositivity of p53 AAbs is comparable in type II ovarian cancer patients with negative and positive CA125, but has no value for type I ovarian cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

p53 AAbs might be a useful blood-based biomarker for the detection of type II ovarian cancer, especially when combined with CA125 levels.

BACKGROUND

A number of studies have demonstrated an important role for macrophages (M phi) in lipid-induced glomerular injury; however, little is known of the mechanisms that facilitate M phi infiltration in this disease. This study examined the expression of M phi chemotactic molecules M phi migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and leukocyte adhesion molecules intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) during the induction of glomerular M phi infiltration in ExHC rats, a strain that is susceptible to lipid-induced glomerular injury.

METHODS

Groups of five ExHC rats were fed a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) containing 3% cholesterol, 0.6% sodium cholate, and 15% olive oil and were killed after three days or one, two, or six weeks. Control animals were killed on day 0 or after six weeks on a normal diet.

RESULTS

ExHC rats fed an HCD showed marked hypercholesterolemia in the absence of any increase in plasma triglyceride levels from day 3 and developed mild proteinuria and segmental glomerular lesions at week 6. Immunoperoxidase staining identified a significant increase in glomerular ED1+ M phi at week 1, which was further increased at week 6, when M phi-derived foam cells were seen in almost all glomeruli. Many of the infiltrating glomerular M phi expressed lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and very late antigen-4 (VLA-4), which are ligands for ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, respectively. Coincident with the induction of hypercholesterolemia on day 3 and prior to significant M phi infiltration, combined in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated a marked up-regulation of M-CSF and MIF mRNA expression by glomerular mesangial cells and podocytes. There was also a significant increase in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA expression by intrinsic glomerular cells, including endothelial cells, on day 3 of the HCD.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that hypercholesterolemia can induce a classic proinflammatory response within the kidney glomerulus, involving production of well-described M phi chemotactic and adhesion molecules, which results in M phi recruitment and the development of glomerular injury.