title: MBL2 variants in relation to common childhood infections and atopy-related phenotypes in a large German birth cohort.
abstract: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is considered an important component of innate immunity. Four functional MBL2 alterations in codons 52, 54, 57 and in the promoter at position c.1-290 are correlated with significantly lowered MBL serum levels. These variants have been associated with susceptibility to a variety of infectious agents as well as with various immunologic disorders including asthma. To reassess these observations, we analysed the four above mentioned MBL2 variants in 749 children, who were recruited by the German Multicenter Allergy Study and were prospectively evaluated for common respiratory childhood infections and atopy-related phenotypes from birth up to the age of 11 yr. We performed genotyping by melting curve analysis using fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes and the LightCycler. In contrast to previous studies, we found an association of MBL2 variants neither with the frequency of common respiratory childhood infections at any age nor with asthma or other atopy-related phenotypes. Our data suggest that MBL deficiency does not represent a pre-disposing factor for respiratory infections or atopic disorders in infants and children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Immunology, Charité-Universitäts medizin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grüber
authors.forename: Simona Eva
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Zitnik
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wahn
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nickel
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; C445619:MBL2 protein, human; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin