Positive association of macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene-173G/C polymorphism with biliary atresia

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotrophic lymphocyte and macrophage cytokine; it is likely to play an important role in innate immunity. Its expression was increased in several inflammatory diseases, and MIF gene polymorphisms have an effect on disease outcome and response to glucocorticoid treatment.

To investigate the role of the 173G/C polymorphism of the MIF gene for susceptibility to biliary atresia (BA).

Between February 2002 and November 2004, 18 patients (mean age 1 +/- 0.4 years) diagnosed as having BA were studied. After informed consent, blood was collected, and DNA was obtained. MIF 173C/G polymorphism was detected using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism based method. BA patients were compared with a group of chronic liver disease patients (CLD) (n = 36) and a group of unrelated healthy controls (n = 103).

MIF-173C allele frequency was significantly higher than both the CLD and healthy control groups (P = 0.03, odds ratio [OR] 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-15.1; P = 0.000, OR 4.1, 95% CI 2.3-7.6, respectively). Univariate analysis showed that MIF-173G/C polymorphism was significantly associated with BA (for GC genotype, OR = 6, 95 % CI 2.8-11.5, P = 0.000). There was no significant correlation between pediatric end stage liver disease score and MIF genotypes both in BA and CLD groups.

Our results suggest that the -173C allele of the MIF gene might be associated with the susceptibility to BA.