title: Association of systemic lupus erythematosus with promoter polymorphisms of the mannose-binding lectin gene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the distribution of promoter variants of the mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene and correlations between the promoter variants and serum MBL concentrations in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in healthy Chinese controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the serum MBL levels and codon 54 mutation in 112 Chinese patients with SLE and 110 healthy controls. Genotyping of promoter variants of the MBL gene were done by polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant differences in the distribution of the 2 pairs of promoter polymorphisms, H/L and Y/X, between SLE patients and controls (P=0.018 and P=0.019, respectively). Analysis of the correlation between promoter haplotypes and serum MBL levels revealed HY as the highest-producing, LY as the intermediate-producing, and LX as the lowest-producing haplotypes. The LX haplotype was present at a frequency of 0.259 in SLE patients and 0.154 in controls and was significantly associated with SLE (P=0.019, odds ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 1.12-2.85).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low-producing promoter polymorphism of the MBL gene is associated with SLE, and a low serum MBL level is a risk factor for SLE. Even allowing for promoter polymorphisms and structural mutations of the MBL gene, serum MBL levels in SLE patients are still lower than those in controls, suggesting a trans-factor in regulating serum MBL levels.
authors.affiliation: University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, China.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D037222:Collectins; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037222:Collectins; D017931:DNA Primers