The association between mannan-binding lectin gene polymorphism and clinical leprosy: new insight into an old paradigm.
BACKGROUND
Mannan-binding lectin (MBL), a soluble protein of innate immunity, is known to play a role in pathogen recognition and clearance. For more than a decade, it has been proposed that MBL deficiency may be protective against intracellular pathogens, such as Mycobacterium leprae.


METHODS
The polymorphisms at the promoter and exon 1 regions of the MBL2 gene were assessed by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing performed on 264 patients with leprosy and 214 matched healthy control subjects from southern Brazil. RESULTS. The distribution of MBL2-gene polymorphisms in patients was significantly different from that in controls, with a decreased frequency of haplotypes/genotypes associated with low expression of circulating MBL in lepromatous patients when compared with tuberculoid patients (odds ratio [OR] for haplotypes, 0.56 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.33-0.93] [P=.020]; OR for genotypes, 0.31 [95% CI, 0.13-0.71] [P=.004]). The LYPA haplotype was associated with susceptibility to leprosy per se (OR, 2.25 [95% CI, 1.31-3.88] [P=.003]) and to progression to the lepromatous (OR, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.21-4.05] [P=.008]) and borderline (OR, 2.98 [95% CI, 1.29-6.87] [P=.008]) forms of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that MBL2-gene polymorphisms play a role in susceptibility to leprosy per se and in the clinical progression of the disease.
de Messias-Reason
Iara J
IJ
Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany.
Boldt
Angelica B W
AB
Moraes Braga
Anna Carolina
AC
Von Rosen Seeling Stahlke
Ewalda
E
Dornelles
Luciana
L
Pereira-Ferrari
Lilian
L
Kremsner
Peter G
PG
Kun
Jurgen F J
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin