Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphism and early neonatal outcome in preterm infants

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) as a component of innate immunity plays an important role in preterm infants in whom adaptive immunity is not sufficiently developed. Polymorphisms in immunoregulatory genes influence the response to infection and subsequent inflammation. Infection and inflammation have been implicated in the mechanisms responsible for many of the diseases in the preterm newborns.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between MBL gene polymorphism and early neonatal outcome in preterm infants.

Codon 54 and 57 polymorphisms in MBL2 gene were genotyped in 99 preterm infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Ege University Children's Hospital.

Overall frequencies of sepsis and early-onset sepsis were higher in the group of infants with MBL polymorphism when compared to infants with wild-type MBL genotype (p = 0.008, 0.009, respectively). Maximum Tollner sepsis score in the first 3 days of life was higher for the infants with variant MBL genotype (p = 0.0278). More infants in the variant MBL group had significant patent ductus arteriosus when compared to infants with wild-type MBL (27.8 vs. 9.5% respectively, p = 0.037).

MBL gene polymorphism was associated with increased frequency of clinical sepsis particularly with early neonatal sepsis and also with higher Tollner sepsis scores and increased frequency of patent ductus arteriosus in infants. Overall mortality and incidence of culture proven sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia and necrotizing enterocolitis were not found to be related to MBL genotype.