IDENTIFICATION OF MACROPHAGE-MIGRATION INHIBITORY FACTOR (MIF) IN HUMAN SKIN AND ITS IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION

The presence and tissue localization of macrophage migration inhibitor y factor (MIF) in human skin were examined, Reverse transcription-poly merase 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 We stern blot analysis, which demonstrated a single band at about 12.5 kD a using a polyclonal antibody against human recombinant MIF. Immunohis tochemical studies showed that MIF existed in human epidermis, especia lly in the basal layer, The pathophysiological role of MIF in human sk in remains undefined; however, the present results indicate that MIF m ay play an important role in immunity, inflammation and cellular diffe rentiation of epidermal cells.