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Semin Thromb Hemost 1999; 25(6): 569-573
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-994967
Copyright © 1999 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

α-Thrombin Stimulates Expression of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Skin Fibroblasts

Tadamichi Shimizu* , Akira Ohkawara* , Yuka Mizue‡ , Jun Nishihira†
  • *Departments of Dermatology and
  • †Central Research Institute, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan;
  • ‡Sapporo Immunodiagnostic Laboratory, Sapporo, Japan.
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Publication Date:
06 February 2008 (online)

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Abstract

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is induced by various stimuli such as wounds and infection and regulates inflammatory and immunological responses. To date, we have found increased expression of MIF during the wound healing process in rat skin. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced expression of MIF in wound skin lesions. On the other hand, α-thrombin, a multifunctional serine protease, plays an important role in wound healing with regard to induction of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6). Accordingly, we examined the effect of α-thrombin on MIF production in human skin fibroblasts. α-Thrombin significantly stimulated MIF secretion into culture medium of fibroblasts quantitated by an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Consistent with this, we observed the upregulation of MIF mRNA in response to α-thrombin by Northern blot analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that MIF produced by fibroblasts in response to α-thrombin plays an important regulatory role in wound repair.

Keywords:

Fibroblasts - macrophage migration inhibitory factor - skin - thrombin - wound repair