Elevated Serum Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Levels in Behçet Disease: Association with Disease Presence but not Activity

Abstract

Background/Aims: To compare serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels between patients with Behçet disease (BD) and a healthy control group, and to investigate the potential association between MIF and disease activity. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 51 patients with BD and 46 healthy controls. Disease activity was assessed using the Behçet Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF). Serum MIF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Comparisons were made between patients and controls, as well as between active and inactive disease subgroups. Results: Serum MIF levels were significantly higher in patients with BD compared with the healthy control group (10.80 ± 6.21 vs 8.76 ± 7.58 pg/mL; P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.696 (95% CI: 0.583–0.909; P = .001); a cut-off value of 6.93 pg/mL provided 78.4% sensitivity and 65.2% specificity. No significant difference in MIF levels was observed between patients with active and inactive disease. Conclusion: Serum MIF levels in patients with BD are elevated compared with a healthy control group and demonstrate moderate discriminatory ability. However, MIF levels do not appear to reflect disease activity as measured by the BDCAF. Larger, multicenter studies are needed to clarify the role of MIF in BD. Cite this article as: Şahin M, Öztürk N, Acar Aydemir E, Gögebakan MY. Elevated Serum Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Levels in Behçet Disease: Association with Disease Presence but not Activity. ArchRheumatol. Published online September 09, 2026. doi: 10.5152/ArchRheumatol.2026.26551.