No Association between Mannose-Binding Lectin Alleles and Susceptibility to Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in German Patients

Variants of the mannose-binding lectin (MBL) have been shown to be associated with low serum concentrations of the protein and to predispose to bacterial, fungal and viral infections. A recent small study on 33 Caucasian patients had suggested that a mutation at codon 52 of the MBL gene is associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Exon 1 of the MBL gene was amplified by PCR in 61 patients with chronic HBV infection, 28 patients with acute infection and in 60 controls. MBL variants were detected by subsequent restriction enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis. The occurrence of the codon 52 mutation in patients with chronic HBV infection did not differ significantly from that in controls or patients with acute infection (9 vs. 7%), nor were there any significant differences for the codon 54 mutation. The frequency of MBL variants at codon 52 and 54 is not increased in patients with chronic HBV infection. Thus, the previously reported association of MBL deficiency with chronic HBV infection in adults could not be confirmed.