title: Chemotherapy-related infections in patients with multiple myeloma: associations with mannan-binding lectin genotypes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study a possible association between mannan-binding lectin genotypes and severe infections in patients with multiple myeloma receiving moderate strength induction chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chemotherapy-related infections were identified retrospectively using clinical records and database files. Mannan-binding lectin genotypes were identified with polymerase chain reaction on stored samples of stem cells or formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded bone marrow biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 138 myeloma patients. In five patients, data were incomplete, and 133 patients were analysed. Eighty-eight patients were homozygous for wild-type MBL2 (AA) and forty-five patients were heterozygous or homozygous for variant genotypes (AO/OO). A total of 390 chemotherapy cycles were reviewed. Common Toxicity Criteria grades 3 and 4 infections in general were seen in relation to 104 cycles and were not more common in patient with variant MBL2 (P = 0.90). Septicaemia was seen after 10% of chemotherapy cycles in AA patients vs. 15% in AO/OO patients (P = 0.15). In multi-variate analyses, we found indication of a reduced risk of septicaemia in AA patients [OR 0.27 (0.08-0.90), P = 0.03], after first chemotherapy cycle, but reduction of the risk including all cycles was not significant. A similar trend was seen for grades 3 and 4 infections in general.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During induction chemotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma, a general protective effect of wild-type MBL2 against chemotherapy-related infections was not apparent in this study. However, we found indications of a reduced occurrence of septicaemia in patients with wild-type compared with variant MBL2. Further studies in larger cohorts of patients are relevant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University Hospital of Aarhus, THG, Aarhus, Denmark. im@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mølle
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steffensen
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Niels A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Peterslund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007239:Infections / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C445619:MBL2 protein, human; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin