Objective  To analyze the serum level of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)in tuberculosis patients and evaluate the potential relationship of its level and -173G/C polymorphism with tuberculosis.   Methods  A total of 68 tuberculosis patients who admitted in our hospital from September 2009 to September 2010 and a matched control group of 70 healthy volunteers in the same period were included in this study. Their blood samples were collected. MIF-173 G/C was genotyped by using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Serum MIF level was detected by ELISA.   Results  The numbers of patients who carrying with MIF-173 C/C and MIF-173 *C were much larger than those of healthy control (OR=3.99

1.58). The serum MIF level in tuberculosis patients was also higher than control (705.21±67.98 vs 355.31±57.29 pg/ml，P0.01).   Conclusion  The C genotype of MIF-173 locus may be associated with the risk of tuberculosis and play a certain role in the incidence.