Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) -173 polymorphism is associated with clinical erythema nodosum in Löfgren's syndrome

Impact of the MIF -173G/C variant on cardiovascular disease risk: a meta-analysis of 9,047 participants

Introduction

Many factors contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), an umbrella term for several different heart diseases, including inflammation. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an important immune modulator that has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of different heart diseases, so understanding pathogenic variants of the MIF gene is important for risk stratification. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to investigate whether the MIF -173G/C (rs755622) polymorphism is associated with CVD.

Methods

The PubMed, Science Direct, and Embase databases were searched from inception to June 2023 for case-control studies of the MIF -173G/C polymorphism and its relationship to any type of CVD. Correlations between the MIF -173G/C polymorphism and CVD were estimated by pooling the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals in allelic, dominant, and recessive models using random-effects meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 9,047 participants (4141 CVD cases and 4906 healthy controls) from 11 relevant studies were included. In the total population, there was no significant association between the MIF -173G/C (rs755622) polymorphism and the risk of developing CVD in the three different models. In a stratified analysis by ethnicity, the allelic model (C vs G) was significantly associated with CVD in the Arab and Asian populations (OR = 0.56, CI 0.42 -0.75 and OR = 1.28, CI 1.12 -1.46, respectively); the dominant model (CC+CG vs GG) was significantly associated with CVD in the Arab population (OR = 0.42, CI 0.30 -0.61); while the recessive model (GG+GC vs CC) was associated with CVD susceptibility in the Arab population (OR = 3.84, CI 1.57 -9.41). There were no significant associations between the MIF -173 G/C polymorphism and CVD risk in the European population. Conclusion, the MIF -173G/C polymorphism is associated with CVD in some populations.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO (CRD42023441139).

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor is not Associated with Sarcoidosis Susceptibility or Severity in Whites or Blacks

BACKGROUND

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory cytokine, and increased MIF expression has been associated with the development and severity of multiple granulomatous, autoimmune diseases. However, MIF association studies have been discordant in sarcoidosis.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate associations between macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) promoter polymorphisms and sarcoidosis susceptibility and severity.

METHODS

Three hundred and fifty one patients with sarcoidosis were recruited through the Genomic Research in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and Sarcoidosis (GRADS) study. Genomic DNA was isolated from serum, and the MIF -173G/C SNP [rs755622] and MIF -794 CATT5-8 microsatellite repeat [rs5844572] were genotyped. Allelic frequencies were compared between cases and healthy controls and associations between MIF alleles and sarcoidosis severity were assessed.

RESULTS

The frequencies of the high expression -173C SNP and the low expression -794 CATT5 containing genotypes in white and black sarcoidosis patients were the same as those of healthy controls. High expression MIF alleles were not associated with sarcoidosis severity. Associations between MIF alleles and extrapulmonary sarcoidosis phenotypes were limited by small sample sizes.

CONCLUSIONS

High expression MIF genotypes were not associated with the susceptibility to or severity of pulmonary sarcoidosis in a large North American cohort. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2020; 37 (3): e2020004).

MIF -173G/C (rs755622) polymorphism modulates coronary artery disease risk: evidence from a systematic meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains one of the major causes of death in humans. Genetic testing may allow early detection and prevention of this disease. This study aimed to investigate the association between the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) -173G/C (rs755622) polymorphism and susceptibility to CAD based on a meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched several databases to identify observational case-control studies investigating the association between the MIF -173G > C (rs755622) polymorphism and CAD risk published before July 30, 2019. Data were analyzed using the STATA software.

RESULTS

Six studies, comprising a total of 1172 CAD cases and 1564 controls evaluated for MIF polymorphisms, were included. The occurrence of CAD was found to be associated with the C allele of the MIF rs755622 SNP in the total population (C/G, OR = 1.489, 95% CI = 1.223-1.813). Further, MIF -173G/C polymorphism was significantly associated with CAD under the allelic model in the Asian (C/G, OR = 1.775, 95% CI = 1.365-2.309) and Caucasian (C/G, OR = 1.288, 95% CI 1.003-1.654) subgroups. The data showed that the risk of CAD was higher in the population carrying the C allele.

CONCLUSIONS

We found evidence of associations between MIF -173C/G and CAD susceptibility in the Asian and Caucasian populations.

The Role of MIF-173G/C Gene Polymorphism in the Susceptibility of Autoimmune Diseases

Some certain genetic polymorphisms have been considered to implicate in the pathogenesis and progression of autoimmune diseases and may predispose to an early stage of general autoimmune susceptibility. Recent studies have been conducted to investigate the association between macrophage migration inhibitory factor- (MIF-) 173G/C gene polymorphism and autoimmune diseases; however, the results were not exactly identical. In the present study, a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies was performed to estimate the relationship. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Ebsco, EMbase, WanFang databases and CNKI was done. Odds ratio (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined to pool the effect size. The publication bias was examined by Begg's funnel plots and Egger's test. RevMan 5.3 and STATA 12.0 software were used for statistical processing. 23 papers were included, and the results revealed that MIF-173G/C was significantly associated with an increased risk of autoimmune diseases in five genetic models (recessive genetic model: OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.52-2.50; dominant genetic model: OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.24-1.46; allele model: OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.23-1.41; homozygote model: OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.57-2.35; heterozygote model: OR = 4.92, 95% CI: 4.03-6.02), whether in Asia, Europe, or North America. Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed an increasing risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), atopic dermatitis (AD), Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), and Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), but it was not related to the susceptibility of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Therefore, it could be considered that MIF-173G/C polymorphism could increase the susceptibility of autoimmune diseases, while there may be the discrepancy of disease entity.

Association of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor promoter polymorphisms with benign lymphoepithelial lesion of lacrimal gland

AIM

To identify the association of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene polymorphism with the susceptibility of benign lymphoepithelial lesions (BLEL) of the lacrimal gland.

METHODS

A total of 40 BLEL of lacrimal gland cases were matched with 40 healthy subjects (HS). Extraction the plasma and whole blood DNA of patients of lacrimal gland BLEL and HS. Elisa and polymerase chain reaction was used to determine in plasma contents of MIF and MIF gene SNP-173G>C and STR -794 CATT_(5-8) polymorphism, respectively.

RESULTS

The MIF levels in plasma were significantly higher in patients with lacrimal gland BLEL versus HS (P<0.001). The -173 G>C MIF polymorphism was significantly associated with lacrimal gland BLEL, with a significantly higher frequency of the C allele in lacrimal gland BLEL patients compared with HS (OR=2.38, 95% CI=1.07-5.31, P=0.032), and the -173 C/x is more frequent in patients than in HS, P=0.037. Besides, we found that the carriage rate of the MIF -173C/x is associated with higher plasma levels of MIF in the BLEL of lacrimal gland.

CONCLUSION

MIF -173G/C variants play an insidious role in susceptibility of BLEL of lacrimal gland. Otherwise, there is no statistically significant correlation exists between MIF-794 CATT _(5-8) and BLEL of lacrimal gland.

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in TNF and MIF Gene with the Risk of Primary Dysmenorrhea

Primary dysmenorrhea, which affects 90 % of adolescent girls and more than 50 % of menstruating women worldwide, is characterized by recurrent pain during menses in the absence of a detectable organic disease. The aim of this study is to assess the association between MIF -173 and TNF -308 genetic polymorphisms and the clinical features of primary dysmenorrhea. The study population comprised 154 unrelated female patients with clinical diagnosis of dysmenorrhea, and a total of 144 control subjects were recruited consecutively. The MIF -173G > C promoter polymorphism (rs755622) and TNF gene -308G > A (rs1800629) polymorphism were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Two fragments (268 and 97 bp) were seen when the G allele was present at position -173, and three fragments (206, 97, and 62 bp) were observed when the C allele was present. Two fragments (87 and 20 bp) were seen when G allele was present at position -308. There were statistically significant associations between age at menarche and history of back pain among dysmenorrhea patients and MIF gene -173G > C polymorphism (p = 0.003 and p = 0.042, respectively). The genotype and allele frequencies of -308G > A polymorphism showed statistically significant differences between dysmenorrhea patients and controls (p = 0.023 and p = 0.009, respectively). A high association was also observed when the patients were compared with the controls according to the GG genotype versus GA+AA genotypes (p = 0.009). The present study showed that the TNF-α -308 GG genotype may be a useful tool to predict the susceptibility of dysmenorrhea.

Impact of MIF Gene Promoter Variations on Risk of Rheumatic Heart Disease and Its Age of Onset in Saudi Arabian Patients

Although macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has consistently been shown to be an important immune modulator, data on the association between MIF promoter variations and the risk of developing rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remain inconclusive. RHD is an important complication of streptococcal infections in the Middle East, not least in Saudi Arabia, and identifying risk markers is an important priority. Therefore, we investigated the association between two functional MIF promoter variations and RHD susceptibility and severity in Saudi patients: the MIF-173G > C substitution (rs755622) and the MIF-794 CATT5-8 tetranucleotide repeat (rs5844572). Three hundred twenty-six individuals (124 RHD patients and 202 age-, sex-, and ethnically matched healthy controls) were genotyped using allelic discrimination and fragment analysis. Data were analyzed with respect to disease susceptibility, severity, sex, and age of onset. There was a significantly lower frequency of 173C allele carriage in RHD patients compared to controls [odds ratio (OR) = 0.47; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 0.28-0.77; p = 0.003]. Interestingly, the 173C allele was associated with late disease onset (p = 0.001). The 794 5-repeat allele was associated with decreased RHD risk (OR = 0.56; 95% CIs = 0.38-0.82; p = 0.003). In contrast, the 794 6-repeat allele was associated with increased risk of RHD (OR = 1.7; 95% CIs = 1.2-2.5; p = 0.002). MIF promoter variations appear to have a dual role in RHD, with 173C allele non-carriers at higher risk of developing RHD at a younger age. These results require further validation in larger multi-ethnic cohorts, and functional studies are necessary to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms driving the at-risk phenotype.

MIF Gene Polymorphism rs755622 Is Associated With Coronary Artery Disease and Severity of Coronary Lesions in a Chinese Kazakh Population: A Case-Control Study

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Recent studies indicate that macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine which mediates the inflammatory process during atherosclerosis. The polymorphism of MIF gene (rs755622 [-173G/C], rs1007888, and rs2096525) were genotyped by TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assay in 320 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 603 controls in a Chinese Kazakh population. Coronary angiography was performed on all CAD patients and Gensini score was used to assess the severity of coronary artery lesions. The frequency of the CC genotype and C allele of rs755622 were significantly higher in CAD patients than that in control subjects (8.4% vs. 5.1%, P < 0.001, 30.3% vs. 22.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with CC genotype or C allele had a higher risk for CAD (CC genotype vs. GG genotype, OR = 2.224, 95% CI, 1.239-3.992, P = 0.007, and C allele vs. G allele, OR = 1.473, 95% CI, 1.156-1.876, P = 0.002, respectively). Moreover, CAD patients with rs755622 C allele (CC + CG genotype) have higher levels of Gensini score when compared to C allele noncarriers (32.74 ± 26.66 vs. 21.44 ± 19.40, P < 0.001, adjusted). Our results suggested that the CC genotype and C allele of MIF rs755622 SNP may be a genetic marker for the risk of CAD and potentially predict the severity of CAD in Chinese Kazakh population.