Does the immunoregulatory mediator macrophage migration inhibitory factor ( MIF ) catalyze a tautomerization reaction?
MIF has been described recently to be an anterior pituitary hormone and to be released from immune cells stimulated by low concentrations of glucocorticoids. Once secreted, MIF acts to control, or counter-regulate, the immunosuppressive effects of glucocorticoids on the immune system. Although the tested substrate, D-dopachrome, does not occur naturally, the observation that MIF has tautomerase activity suggests that MIF may mediate its biological effects by an enzymatic reaction. These data also offer a potential approach for the design of small molecule pharmacological inhibitors of MIF that may modulate its potent immunoregulatory effects in vivo.
Diagnostic laparoscopy can be useful in elderly patient, since these patients may benefit from a more conservative surgical strategy. The selection of patients to be subjected to laparoscopic lavage must be very rigorous.