MIF can further co-stimulate T and B cells, up-regulate the secretion of INF-γ, IL-6, TNF-α, etc. to form a positive feedback loop, maintain pro-inflammatory activity and inhibit the activation of apoptotic signaling pathways to be involved in the occurrence and development of SLE which may be our next research direction (55, 56). Here, TNF is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.