title: Mannose-binding lectin serum levels in patients with leprosy are influenced by age and MBL2 genotypes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) activates the complement system promoting opsonophagocytosis, which could represent an advantage for Mycobacterium leprae, an intracellular pathogen. Therefore, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MBL2 gene associated with low levels of MBL could confer protection against the development of leprosy disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we investigated SNPs of the MBL2 gene and MBL levels in 228 Brazilian leprosy patients and 232 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in the frequencies of variant genotypes and haplotypes of MBL2 between patients and controls, or between the different clinical forms of leprosy. In the group of patients with a genotype for high expression of MBL2, those aged>40 years had decreased MBL levels compared to patients aged ≤ 40 years (p = 0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that age could influence the phenotype of MBL2, but no evidence was found for an association of MBL2 polymorphism with susceptibility to leprosy or its clinical forms.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Medicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Pernambuco, Rua Arnobio Marques 282, CEP 50100-130, Santo Amaro, Recife PE, Brazil. luydson@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Luydson Richardson Silva
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Juliana Pereira Lopes
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Rodrigo Feliciano
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: do Carmo
authors.forename: Taciana Furtado
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: de Mendonça
authors.forename: Valeria Rêgo Alves
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Norma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lucena-Silva
authors.forename: Leila Maria Moreira Beltrão
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.forename: Maria do Socorro de Mendonça
authors.initials: Mdo S
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C445619:MBL2 protein, human; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin