Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphisms as a susceptibility factor for chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis

It was investigated whether a deficiency of mannose-binding lectin (MBL), w hich binds Aspergillus species avidly in vitro, could account for chronic n ecrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis (CNPA), which is seen most commonly in n onimmunocompromised patients. Blood samples were obtained from 11 patients (10 white) with CNPA and were compared with blood samples from 82 white con trol subjects. MBL haplotype profiles were determined by polymerase chain r eaction, using sequence-specific primers and sequence-specific oligonucleot ide probing techniques. Seven of the 10 white patients with CNPA had MBL ha plotypes that encode for low levels of the protein, compared with 25.6% of the white control subjects (P = .004). Presence of the codon 52 mutation wa s particularly common in patients with CNPA (P = .015), which suggests a gr eater involvement of this mutation.