Ficolin-2 levels and FCN2 genetic polymorphisms as a susceptibility factor in schistosomiasis.
BACKGROUND
Human ficolin-2 (L-ficolins) encoded by the FCN2 gene are pattern-recognition proteins involved in innate immunity and are associated with several infectious diseases.


METHODS
A Nigerian cohort of 168 Schistosoma haematobium-infected individuals and 192 healthy controls were examined for functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region (-986G>A, -602G>A, -4A>G) and in exon 8 (+6424G>T) using real-time polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
The FCN2 -986A and -4G alleles were significantly associated with the occurrence of schistosomiasis (P = .0004 for -986G>A; P = .0001 for -4A>G). The heterozygous genotypes (P = .0006 for -986G>A; P = .0002 for -4A>G) were observed to be a risk factor for susceptibility to schistosomiasis, whereas the homozygous genotypes of major alleles (P = .0002 for -986G>A; P = .0001 for -4A>G) were observed to shield against schistosomiasis. The haplotype AGGG (P = .0002) was observed to be a risk factor for susceptibility to schistosomiasis compared with controls, and the haplotype GGAG (P = .04) was observed to confer protection compared with patients. Ficolin-2 serum level was significantly higher in controls (P < .005) and in controls with GGAG haplotypes (P < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrate that FCN2 promoter variants (-986G>A and -4A>G) influence ficolin-2 serum levels and susceptibility to schistosomiasis.
Institute of Tropical Medicine,  University of Tübingen,  Germany.
Eman Abou
EA
Ouf
Olusola
O
Ojurongbe
Akeem A
AA
Akindele
Olawumi R
OR
Sina-Agbaje
Hoang
H
Van Tong
Adegboyega O
AO
Adeyeba
Peter G
PG
Kremsner
Jürgen F J
JF
Kun
Tp
T
Velavan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000276:immunology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult; D000097604:Ficolins
D037102:Lectins; D000097604:Ficolins