Mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) gene polymorphisms do not influence frequency of infections in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

Abstract

BackgroundInfectious complications represent the main cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It has been reported that polymorphisms of the mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) genes are correlated with MBL protein serum levels and, consequently, are associated with the development of infectious diseases.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the possible association between MBL2 gene polymorphisms and risk of infection in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.MethodsPeripheral blood samples from 116 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients were collected; after genomic DNA extraction, real time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the polymorphisms of the promoter region and exon 1 of the MBL2 gene.ResultsA high frequency of Binet stage A (p-value = 0.005) and absence of splenomegaly (p-value = 0.002) were observed in patients with no infection; however, variant alleles/ genotypes and haplotypes of this gene had no impact on the risk of infection.ConclusionTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study describing the association between MBL2 polymorphisms and infectious disease in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Although it was not possible to demonstrate any influence of MBL2 polymorphisms as a genetic modulator of infection in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the authors believe that the present data are clinically relevant and provide the basis for future studies.© 2014 Associação Brasileira de Hematologia, Hemoterapia e Terapia Celular. All rights reserved.

Associations of ficolins and mannose-binding lectin with acute myeloid leukaemia in adults

“…Similarly, the lack of association of mannose-binding lectin deficiency with chemotherapy-induced infections in patients suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia was earlier reported by Bergmann et al 39 and Klostergaard et al 40 . Furthermore, data from several other studies (concerning patients with other leukaemias, or haematological malignancies in general) led to similar conclusions [41][42][43][44][45][46] . In contrast to our results presented here and in afore-mentioned recent paper 37 , some earlier reports suggested that low MBL (or associated genotypes) enhanced the risk for infections in such cases 31,32,36,[47][48][49][50] .…”

Soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor promotes immunomodulation to inhibit bone resorption

“…Thus, MBL can recognize carbohydrate structures, on a variety of microorganisms surface [18]. In according to our findings in the gingival tissue, the MBL plasma levels have been reported to increase during infections and inflammatory processes [19]. MBL plasma concentrations were not significantly different in moderate and severe periodontitis compared to controls, and MBL deficiency was not related to susceptibility for periodontitis [20].…”

Genetic polymorphisms, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and the future: are we there yet?✰✰See paper by Holanda K et al. on pages 29–34.

“…The study by Holanda et al 1 highlights the difficulties in finding adequate predictive and prognostic factors in CLL. The heterogeneity of the patient population and the prolonged clinical course of the disease represent significant barriers to identify laboratory parameters that can be reliably utilized in the clinical practice 10 .…”

“…In this issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, Holanda et al 1 investigated the hypothesis that polymorphisms of the mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) gene are associated with infections in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The authors did not find a correlation between genetic changes and frequency of infection in a cohort of 116 patients.…”