Functional haplotypes that produce normal ficolin-2 levels protect against clinical leprosy.
Host factors have been shown to play a significant role in the susceptibility to and clinical outcome of leprosy. Here, we analyze polymorphisms of the gene encoding ficolin-2 (FCN2), which is a soluble pattern-recognition molecule. A total of 158 patients with leprosy and 210 healthy control subjects from Brazil were investigated. Polymorphisms in the promoter and exon 8 of FCN2 were assessed by DNA sequencing. The distribution of functional FCN2 haplotypes amongpatients was significant different from that among the control subjects (P = .004). These results unveil an immunogenetic role for ficolin-2 in the host response against M. leprae.
Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Iara
I
de Messias-Reason
Peter G
PG
Kremsner
Jürgen F J
JF
Kun
D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017931:DNA Primers; D005091:Exons; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007918:Leprosy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012016:Reference Values; D000097604:Ficolins
D017931:DNA Primers; D037102:Lectins; D000097604:Ficolins