We analyzed 370 NSCLC cases for their miR-451 expression and found that (1) the miR-451 expression was lower in carcinoma tissues than in paired background lung tissues, (2) a lower expression of miR-451 was an independent predictor of a poor prognosis, and (3) the MIF expression was inversely correlated with the miR-451 expression. Here, MIF is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.