title: Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphism is a modulating factor in repeated respiratory infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify how mannose-binding lectin (MBL) participates in the pulmonary defense system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients with unexplained recurrent respiratory infections, 50 patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infection, 23 patients with aspergillosis, and 49 patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB). For controls, 52 blood samples were provided by the Blood Donation Center of the Japanese Red Cross Society. For BAL fluid (BALF) evaluation, there were five patients with acute phase pneumonia and five healthy volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrated that MBL protein could be directly measured in the BALF from the lungs of patients with pneumonia by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the prevalence of the codon 54 mutation of the MBL gene in 62 patients having repeated respiratory infections was significantly higher compared with healthy control subjects (54.8% vs 32.7%). The prevalence of the MBL mutant genotype among patients with DPB was higher (51.1%) than in the rest of the patients. In contrast, the prevalence of the MBL mutant genotype among patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria or Aspergillus chronic infection was not significantly different from that in control subjects (44.0% and 34.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that MBL may play an important role in modulating the inflammatory response against repeated microbial infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. gomi@idac.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gomi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokue
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Teizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nukiwa
mesh_terms: D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012008:Recurrence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin