MIF and colorectal carcinoma: Based on their tolerance to CT, the cytokines MIF (P = 0.033), IL-21 (P = 0.050), IL-7 (P = 0.039), and TNF-α (P = 0.0206), and the chemokine MDC (P = 0.013) were positively associated with CT tolerance in patients with CRC (Fig. 3A).