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Macrophage migration inhibitory factor, infection, the brain, and corticosteroids

Madelijn Geldhoff, Barry B Mook-Kanamori and Diederik Beek*

Author Affiliations

Department of Neurology, Center of Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Critical Care 2009, 13:170 doi:10.1186/cc7970

Published: 27 July 2009

Abstract

Bacterial meningitis is a complex disorder in which injury is caused, in part, by the causative organism and, in part, by the host's own inflammatory response. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine and a neuro-endocrine mediator that might play a role in pneumococcal meningitis. Here, we discuss the role of MIF in infection, the brain, and corticosteroids and conclude that experimental meningitis studies have to determine whether MIF is a potential target for adjunctive therapy in pneumococcal meningitis.