Mannan-binding lectin serum concentrations in HIV-infected patients are influenced by the stage of disease

Serum concentrations of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) were determined in the sera of 67 HIV-seropositive patients in different stages of HIV disease and in the sera of 75 HIV-seronegative healthy individuals. In the asymptomatic (AS) HlV-infected persons MBL concentrations were found to be significantly (P<0.05) lower than in the HIV-seronegative controls, whereas in the AIDS patients they were not. Very low (≤25 ng/ml) MBL serum concentrations were detected in 5/19 (26.3%) and 7/75 (9.3%) of the AS HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative individuals, respectively (P=0.06). In the sera of the HIV-infected patients, MBL levels positively correlated to the neopterin concentrations (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.401, P=0.0009) while they negatively correlated to the percentage (−0.447, P=0.0011) and absolute number (−0.453, P=0.0012) of the CD4+ lymphocytes. These observations indicate that MBL level, which is under strict genetic control, may influence the susceptibility to HIV infection and the progression of HIV disease.