Objective To investigate the level of serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its correlation with serum precollagen Ⅲ peptide (PⅢP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis. Methods Forty-four CHB patients (hepatitis B group), 44 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis (cirrhosis group) and 30 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled in this study. The venous blood was collected and MIF level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlations between MIF and PⅢP, TIMP-1 were analyzed in observed groups. Comparison between groups was done using t test. The correlations between MIF level and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBil), plasma thromboplastin antecedent (PTA), PⅢP and TIMP-1 were analyzed by rectilinear correlation. Results The levels of serum MIF, PⅢP and TIMP-1 in CHB group and cirrhosis group were all significantly higher than those in control group (t=12.87,5.28, 10.98,t=11.22,14.84,11.17;all P<0.05), while there were no significant differences between CHB group and cirrhosis group (t= -1.05,1.52,--2.07;all P>0.05). There was no correlation between MIF level and ALT, AST, TBil and PTA. MIF level in CHB patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive and high viral load were both higher than that in patients with HBeAg negative and low viral load. MIF level was both positively correlated with PⅢP level in CHB group and cirrhosis group (r=0. 603, P<0.05 and r=0. 415, P<0. 05, respectively). MIF level was also positively correlated with TIMP-1 level in CHB group (r=0. 458, P<0.05), while not correlated in cirrhosis group (r=0. 210, P>0.05). Levels of PⅢP and T1MP-1 were both correlated in CHB group and cirrhosis group (r=0. 849, P< 0.05 and r=0. 424, P<0.05, respectively). Conclusions The levels of serum MIF are significantly increased both in patients with CHB and cirrhosis. The early production of MIF might be related with viral replication, but not with liver function. MIF participates in formations of hepatitis, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, which could reflect the degree of liver cirrhosis.