The MBL2 genotype relates to COVID-19 severity and may help to select the optimal therapy

Objectives: Sars-CoV-2 acute infection is clinically heterogeneous, ranging from asymptomatic cases to patients with a severe, systemic clinical course. Among the involved factors age and preexisting morbidities play a major role; genetic host susceptibility contributes to modulating the clinical expression and outcome of the disease. Mannose-binding lectin is an acute-phase protein that activates the lectin-complement pathway, promotes opsonophagocytosis and modulates inflammation, and is involved in several bacterial and viral infections in humans. Understanding its role in Sars-CoV-2 infection could help select a better therapy. Methods: We studied MBL2 haplotypes in 419 patients with acute COVID-19 in comparison to the general population and related the haplotypes to clinical and laboratory markers of severity. Results: We recorded an enhanced frequency of MBL2 null alleles in patients with severe acute COVID-19. The homozygous null genotypes were significantly more frequent in patients with advanced WHO score 4–7 (OR of about 4) and related to more severe inflammation, neutrophilia, and lymphopenia. Conclusions: Subjects with a defective MBL2 genotype (i.e., 0/0) are predisposed to a more severe acute Sars-CoV-2 infection; they may benefit from early replacement therapy with recombinant MBL. Furthermore, a subset of subjects with the A/A MBL genotype develop a relevant increase of serum MBL during the early phases of the disease and develop a more severe pulmonary disease; in these patients, the targeting of the complement may help. Therefore, COVID-19 patients should be tested at hospitalization with serum MBL analysis and MBL2 genotype, to define the optimal therapy.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: The MBL2 genotype relates to COVID-19 severity and may help to select the optimal therapy ; volume:61 ; number:12 ; year:2023 ; pages:2143-2149 ; extent:07 ; Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine ; 61, Heft 12 (2023), 2143-2149 (gesamt 07)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Scialò, Filippo ; Cernera, Gustavo ; Esposito, Speranza ; Pinchera, Biagio ; Gentile, Ivan ; Di Domenico, Marina ; Bianco, Andrea ; Pastore, Lucio ; Amato, Felice ; Castaldo, Giuseppe

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-0183
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023102616024300687864
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:54 AM CEST