MIF and alkaline phosphatase measurement: 1) plasma MIF levels were elevated in AP patients and were associated with disease severity (control: IQR 296, [57–557] pg/ml; mild: 438 [143–1,453] pg/ml; moderately severe: 717 [201–2,631] pg/ml; severe: 2,984 [74–44,786] pg/ml); 2) prognostic utility of plasma MIF in discriminating severe AP from non-severe AP and healthy controls: Cutoff (>1,520 pg/ml), AUC (0.90), Se = 0.75, Sp = 0.98, p < 0.001