In addition, macrophage migration inhibitory factor expression is gradually increased in gastritis, IM, and GC with H. pylori induction, and it binds to CD74/CD44 or CD74/CXCR4 to activate macrophages to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1B, IL-2, IL-6, PTGS2, and IL-8.3 This evidence concerns the gene CD74 and gastric cancer.