Abstract
The mannose-binding lectin (MBL) (also known as the mannose-binding protein) is a serum protein that plays a role as an "ante-antibody" in innate immunity. In man, MBL is encoded by a single gene, whereas in mice there are two homologous proteins, MBL-A and MBL-C. In order to evaluate the relative roles of these two forms of MBL, we created MBL-A null mice that were MBL-C sufficient. We found MBL-A null mice had enhanced survival in a septic peritonitis model compared to wild-type mice and complement 3 null mice at 24 h, 48 h and 10 d (P <0.05). Reconstitution of these mice with human MBL reversed the phenotype. Surviving mice had significantly decreased TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in the blood and peritoneal cavity (P <0.01). In vitro studies indicate that bacteria opsonized with MBL-A-deficient serum induced significantly less cytokine by peritoneal macrophages compared to those with wild-type serum. Our results indicate that MBL-A is a modulator of inflammation in vivo and in vitro in the mouse and that the role of MBL may extend beyond its role as an opsonin.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Microbes and Infection |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages (from-to) | 773-84 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISSN | 1286-4579 |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Disease Models, Animal
- Gene Deletion
- Inflammation
- Interleukin-6
- Leukocytes
- Mannose-Binding Lectin
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Peritonitis
- Stem Cells
- Survival Analysis
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha