We found that (i) the prevalence of the common variant MBL alleles is correlated with the incidence of tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa (r=0.565), (ii) the mutant MBLG57E allele, in either the homozygous or compound heterozygous state, is associated with susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in the Gabonese population (P=0.019).Our data plus those in the literature suggest that individuals who are homozygous for the mutant MBL alleles display increased susceptibility to infections.
Our findings indicate that homozygosity for the codon 54-allele associated with low MBL production in the exon-1 of the MBL-2 gene is associated with increased susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in the studied population.
The in vivo impact of mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a molecule involved in innate immunity, on the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection and AIDS is unknown.
Since there is a well-documented link between the tested MBL alleles and very low MBL serum concentration, these results do not support the hypothesis that MBL levels are a risk factor for HIV-1 infection in Colombia.
The objective of this study was to investigate the association between MBL2 exon 1 polymorphisms, serum levels of normal MBL, and HIV-1 infection and progression in a Chinese population.
An increased frequency of MBL2 genotypes associated with low MBL levels was observed in Euro-derived patients, suggesting a potential role for MBL in the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection in Euro-derived individuals.
The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that MBL gene polymorphism or low plasma MBL concentrations might have a direct influence on HIV-1 infection, although a broader study involving a large number of patients is needed.
All MBL2 variants were not associated with HIV-1 infection but promoter variants LY and LL were significantly associated with S. haematobium infection.
Collectively, our findings from our case-control replication study and meta-analysis suggested that the MBL2 gene exon 1 coding variants were associated with hosts' susceptibility to HIV-1 infection, especially in Caucasians, but not in Asians.
Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is part of the lectin pathway of complement activation against various pathogens; however, its role in innate immune responses against HIV-1 infection in children is unknown.
Additional genes that affect innate immunity including those encoding for MBL2 and those modulating the adaptive immune response including CX3CR1 and human leukocyte antigen types can significantly modify susceptibility and response to HIV-1 infection.
Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a serum protein whose low concentration is associated with the occurrence of allele variants named MBL*B, MBL*C and MBL*D. The present study investigated the association between MBL gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection.