MIF and atherosclerosis: Thus, MIF has proinflammatory, metabolic and angiogenic effects and participates in the pathogenesis of many diseases/disorders (inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis) and physiologic processes (e.g., wound healing), oncogenesis, metabolic disorders, etc. Animal studies have shown that hypothalamic CRH stimulates the secretion of MIF and thus influences NK cell activities important for inflammatory processes [37].