Macrophage inhibitor factor (MIF) in cutaneous lymphoproliferative diseases

Abstract

MIF activity in the sera of patients with mycosis fungoides, Sezary syndrome and cutaneous lymphoma was observed in the sera of 8 of the 10 patients with stage II (infiltrative) mycosis fungoides, but in only 1 of the 8 patients with stage I and in neither of the 2 patients with stage III mycosis fungoides. Two of the 3 patients with Sezary syndrome had MIF in the serum. No MIF was observed in cutaneous lymphoma. Thus, Sezary syndrome and mycosis fungoides are probably T[thymus-derived]-cell diseases, and transitional, prelymphomatous diseases.