Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Generation of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells with Differing Sialylated Phenotypes
13:36

Generation of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells with Differing Sialylated Phenotypes

Published on: October 20, 2023

Mannan-binding lectin deficiency increases the risk of recurrent infections in children with Down's syndrome

Renato M Nisihara1, Shirley R R Utiyama, Nanci P Oliveira

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Immunopathology and Department of Medical Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; Evangelical University, Medicine Department, Curitiba, Brazil. iaramessias@yahoo.com.br

Human Immunology
|October 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency increases recurrent infection risk in children with Down syndrome (DS). Low MBL levels are linked to higher rates of respiratory infections, including pneumonia, in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Genetics
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Down syndrome (DS) is associated with immune system abnormalities, leading to increased susceptibility to infections and autoimmune diseases.
  • Recurrent respiratory tract infections are a significant cause of mortality in individuals with DS.
  • Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is crucial for innate immunity, initiating the lectin complement pathway and acting as an opsonin.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between MBL deficiency and recurrent infections (RI) in Brazilian children with Down syndrome.
  • To determine if MBL deficiency is a risk factor for respiratory tract infections in DS patients.

Main Methods:

  • Circulating MBL levels were measured in 150 children with DS.
  • Clinical history was used to identify children with and without a history of recurrent infections.
  • Statistical analysis, including odds ratio and confidence intervals, was performed to assess the association between MBL levels and RI.

Main Results:

  • 30.7% of DS children experienced recurrent infections.
  • MBL deficiency was significantly more prevalent in DS children with RI (34.8%) compared to those without RI (13.5%) (p = 0.005).
  • MBL deficiency was strongly associated with pneumonia in DS patients (37.5% vs. 13.5%, p = 0.005).

Conclusions:

  • MBL deficiency is a significant risk factor for recurrent infections, particularly pneumonia, in children with Down syndrome.
  • These findings suggest that MBL therapy could be a potential future treatment to reduce infection susceptibility in DS patients.
  • Further research into MBL's role in DS immunity is warranted.

More Related Videos

Antibody Binding Specificity for Kappa (Vκ) Light Chain-containing Human (IgM) Antibodies: Polysialic Acid (PSA) Attached to NCAM as a Case Study11:10

Antibody Binding Specificity for Kappa (Vκ) Light Chain-containing Human (IgM) Antibodies: Polysialic Acid (PSA) Attached to NCAM as a Case Study

Published on: June 29, 2016

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines12:06

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines

Published on: November 25, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Immunodeficiency Diseases01:25

Immunodeficiency Diseases

Immunodeficiency disorders are conditions in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. The immune system comprises a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from potentially harmful invaders. When this system is deficient or not functioning properly, it leaves the body susceptible to infections, diseases, or other complications.
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Humoral Immune Responses01:36

Humoral Immune Responses

Overview
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Glucose Transporters01:27

Glucose Transporters

Glucose transporters facilitate the transport of glucose across the cell membrane. In addition to glucose, some glucose transporters can also aid the movement of other hexoses such as fructose, mannose, and galactose.
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Selectins01:25

Selectins

Cell adhesion is  an essential aspect of multicellularity. While stable cell interactions usually occur between cells of the same type, transient cell interactions occur between cells of different tissue types, such as between neutrophils and endothelial cells. Selectins are one class of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) that bind carbohydrate ligands to form transient cell adhesion. They are rod-like proteins with a long extracellular part of variable length ending with the lectin domain, which...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease01:25

Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease

Crohn’s disease is a chronic, relapsing form of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by segmental, transmural inflammation that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Its pathogenesis arises from a combination of genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and immune dysregulation. Together, these factors lead to an exaggerated immune response against components of the gut microbiome.Genetic and Environmental InfluencesMultiple genetic...