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Serum levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor are associated with rheumatoid arthritis course

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Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. Many cytokines have been found to be associated with RA pathogenesis and among them is macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). The aim of this study was to determine whether MIF serum levels are associated with RA course, clinical activity, and clinical biomarkers of the disease. MIF levels were determined in serum samples of 54 RA patients and 78 healthy subjects (HS) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Disease activity was evaluated using the DAS28 score. Patients were subgrouped according to disease activity and years of evolution of disease. Statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS 10.0 and GraphPad Prism 5 software. RA patients presented increased levels of MIF as compared to HS. MIF levels were raised on early stages of RA and tend to decrease according to years of evolution. Moreover, MIF levels positively correlated with rheumatoid factor in RA patients and with C reactive protein in all individuals studied. Our findings suggest that MIF plays a role in early stages of RA.

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Abbreviations

RA:

Rheumatoid arthritis

MIF:

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor

HS:

Healthy subjects

RF:

Rheumatoid factor

CRP:

C reactive protein

MMPs:

Matrix metalloproteinases

FLS:

Fibroblast like synoviocytes

DMARDs:

Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

NSAIDs:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

PLA2 :

Phospholipase A2

COX-2:

Cyclooxigenase 2

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grant no. 69235 to JFMV from the National Council of Science and Technology (Fondo Sectorial Secretaría de Salud-IMSS-ISSSTE CONACYT, México-Universidad de Guadalajara).

Conflict of interest

Authors do not have conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada #950, Col. Independencia, 44348, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Mara Anaís Llamas-Covarrubias & Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán

  2. IIRSME, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada #950, Col. Independencia, 44348, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Yeminia Valle, Rosa Elena Navarro-Hernández & José Francisco Muñoz-Valle

  3. Laboratorio de Inmunología, Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Sierra Mojada #950, Col. Independencia, 44348, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    María Guadalupe Ramírez-Dueñas

  4. Instituto de Investigación en Genética Molecular, Centro Universitario de la Ciénega, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Universidad #1115, Col. Lindavista, Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico

    Héctor Rangel-Villalobos

  5. Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnológica y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Av. Normalistas #800 Colonia Colinas de la Normal, 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Ciro Estrada-Chávez

  6. IIRSME, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Insurgentes 244-1, Colonia Lomas de Atemajac, 45178, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

    José Francisco Muñoz-Valle

Authors
  1. Mara Anaís Llamas-Covarrubias
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  2. Yeminia Valle
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  3. Rosa Elena Navarro-Hernández
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  4. Iris Paola Guzmán-Guzmán
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  5. María Guadalupe Ramírez-Dueñas
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  6. Héctor Rangel-Villalobos
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  7. Ciro Estrada-Chávez
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  8. José Francisco Muñoz-Valle
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José Francisco Muñoz-Valle.

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Llamas-Covarrubias, M.A., Valle, Y., Navarro-Hernández, R.E. et al. Serum levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor are associated with rheumatoid arthritis course. Rheumatol Int 32, 2307–2311 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-011-1951-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-011-1951-6

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