Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphism and its impact on human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection

• Published in: Molecular Immunology Vol. 43; no. 9; pp. 1358 - 1362
• Main Authors: Vallinoto, Antonio Carlos Rosário, Menezes-Costa, Marcos Rogério, Alves, Anna Elizabeth Martins, Machado, Luiz Fernando Almeida, Azevedo, Vânia Nakauth, Souza, Lia Lobato Batista de, Ishak, Marluísa de Oliveira Guimarães, Ishak, Ricardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Alleles; Base Sequence; Brazil; Case-Control Studies; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; DNA - genetics; DNA polymorphism; Gene Frequency; Genotype; HIV Infections - genetics; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1; HIV-1 infection; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Humans; Mannose-binding lectin; Mannose-Binding Lectin - genetics; Polymorphism, Genetic; Viremia - genetics; Viremia - immunology; Brazil; HIV-1 infection; Mannose-binding lectin; DNA polymorphism
• ISSN: 0161-5890; 1872-9142; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2005.09.001

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. The study of 145 HIV-1-infected subjects and 99 healthy controls showed the presence of alleles MBL*A, MBL*B and MBL*D, whose frequencies were 69%, 22% and 09% among patients and 71%, 13% and 16% among healthy controls, respectively. The presence of the variant MBL*B was associated with higher plasma viral load levels, suggesting the importance of the MBL gene polymorphism in the clinical evolution of HIV-1-infected patients.