When serum level of MIF was increased by 1 ng/ml, the unadjusted risk for advanced disease would be elevated by 9% (OR: 1.09 [95% CI: 1.04–1.14], P < 0.001); and the adjusted (including age, cavitary lesion, pleural effusion, drug-resistant, disseminated, ALB, CRP, WBC and IL-6) risk would be elevated by 5% (OR: 1.05 [95% CI: 1.01–1.11], P = 0.003). Here, MIF is linked to Pleural effusion.