Re: mannose-binding lectin (May be more important than you think)

[Guest guest]

MANNOSE-BINDING PROTEIN DEFICIENCY ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE

SYNDROME.

L. , M.D., Will , M.D., Deborah Pilkington, R.N.,

Cathleen Steininger, R A.

5th International Conference, American Association for Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome 2001 at Seattle, Wa

OBJECTIVE: Human mannose-binding protein is a calcium dependent

lectin secreted by the liver which plays an important role in innate

immunity. Mannose-binding protein binds to mannose on viruses or

other organisms acting as an opsonin. Absent or low concentrations of

mannose-binding protein are associated with point mutations in the

coding regions of the mannose-binding protein gene. Twenty percent of

adult patients with recurrent infections have low levels of mannose-

binding protein as compared to 3% of the control. Low levels of

mannose-binding protein have been associated with systemic lupus,

recurrent abortions and various viral infections indicating genetic

susceptibility to these infections. In view of the common history of

viral-like onset of symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome, it was

queried as to whether a genetic component may be involved in the MBG

pathway.

METHODS: Eighty-five patients and 15 controls fulfilling CDC criteria

for chronic fatigue syndrome had the measurement of mannose-binding

protein under standard conditions at Specialty Laboratories, Inc., in

Santa , California.

RESULTS: Fifteen of 15 controls had normal or elevated levels of

mannose-binding protein whereas 81 of 85 patients with chronic

fatigue syndrome presenting with an acute flu-like illness had

deficient or absent levels of mannose-binding protein (defined as

less than 5 ng/ml), a highly significant statistical difference.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that a great number of patients

presenting with an acute flu-like illness and subsequently developing

chronic fatigue syndrome have a deficiency of mannose-binding

protein, an opsonin associated with various chronic diseases leaving

credence to the theory of a genetic predisposition to chronic fatigue

syndrome. Additional studies including identification of the gene

point mutation may be productive in elucidating cofactors and genetic

susceptibility to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Association of low concentrations of serum mannose-binding protein

with recurrent infections in adults.

Kakkanaiah VN; Shen GQ; Ojo-Amaize EA; JB

Specialty Laboratories, Santa , California 90404-3900, USA.

Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 1998 May;5(3):319-21

Low concentrations of mannose-binding protein (MBP; also known as

mannose-binding lectin) are associated with common opsonic defect in

immunodeficient children. We compared the concentrations of MBP in

the sera of 47 adults with non-human immunodeficiency virus-related

recurrent infections (group I) and 50 healthy adult controls. Mean

serum MBP concentrations in the patient group did not differ

significantly from those in the control group (P < 0.4).

Nevertheless, the proportion of individuals with less than 5 ng of

serum MBP per ml was significantly larger in the patient group (21%,

P = 0.01) than in the control group (4%). Group II consisted of 73

pediatric and 56 adult patients with recurrent infections. Pediatric

patients had significantly lower mean concentrations of serum MBP

than their controls (P < 0.005), and there was no significant

difference between the concentrations in sera of adult patients and

adult controls (P < 0.4). Again, the proportion of individuals with

less than 5 ng of serum MBP per ml was significantly larger in both

pediatric (22%, P = 0.045) and adult (38%, P = 0.000016) patients

than in their respective controls (4%). Our results demonstrate that,

as in children, low concentrations of serum MBP can be associated

with recurrent infections in adults.

Unique NLM Identifier: 98267021

Association of familial deficiency of mannose-binding lectin and

meningococcal disease

Willem A Bax, Onno J J Cluysenaer, Anton K M Bartelink, Piet C Aerts,

R Alan B Ezekowitz, Hans van Dijk

The Lancet 25 Sept 1999, Vol 354, No 9184

We report the case of an 18-year-old man with meningococcal

meningitis and low serum concentrations of mannose-binding lectin

(MBL). His mother and grandfather, who had also had meningitis in

early adulthood, also had low concentrations of MBL in their serum.

> Sue,

>

> Do you know of any way to boost one's mannose-binding lectin? If

there is

> no way to raise or lower an abnormality I disregard the

information. If it

> can be normalized I would be interested in learning more. Steve B.

>

>

> >From: " rhbailey@c... " <rhbailey@c...>

> >Reply-@y...

> >tal <@y...>

> >Subject: mannose-binding lectin

> >Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 19:25:58 -0400

> >

> >Hi all,

> >

> >Has anyone had their mannose-binding lectin measured?

> >

> >I was just saw a reference to Dr. 's mannose-binding

lectin study,

> >which was presented as an abstract on a poster at the 2001 Seattle

CFS

> >conference. He sent specimens from 85 CFS patients and 15 controls

to

> >Specialty Lab, in California.

> >

> >All the controls had normal (or elevated) levels of mannose-

binding lectin,

> >and 81 out of 85 CFS patients had deficient or absent levels.

> >

> >Sue B.

> >upstate New York

> >

>

>

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