Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
Isolating Central Nervous System Tissues and Associated Meninges for the Downstream Analysis of Immune cells
Published on: May 19, 2020
An increase in cerebrospinal fluid macrophage migration inhibitory factor levels in pediatric patients with acute
Masaru Nasuno1, Mitsuo Motobayashi2, Kaori Yamazaki3
1Division of Neuropediatrics, Nagano Children's Hospital, 3100 Toyoshina, Azumino 399-8288, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
Background:
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multifaceted cytokine involved in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. The roles of MIF in neuroinflammatory diseases have been described in adults, but remain unclear in the pediatric population.
Methods:
We herein retrospectively investigated the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of MIF and 19 types of related cytokines in pediatric patients with acute neuroinflammatory diseases, i.e., bacterial meningitis (n = 6), aseptic meningitis/encephalitis (n = 8), and febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) (n = 5), and in patients with febrile seizure (n = 15).
Results:
CSF MIF levels were significantly higher in the three neuroinflammatory disease groups, particularly in the bacterial meningitis group, than in the febrile seizure group. CSF MIF levels were significantly higher in the bacterial meningitis group than in the FIRES group. CSF MIF levels were higher in the FIRES group than in the febrile seizure group, and this result was independent of age. CSF MIF levels correlated more strongly with interleukin-10, an M2 promoter, than with interferon-γ, an M1 promoter.
Conclusions:
CSF MIF levels were elevated in pediatric patients with acute neuroinflammatory diseases. This is the first study to compare differences in CSF MIF levels among neuroinflammatory diseases and to show relationships between MIF and related cytokines.
