Differential binding of mannose-binding lectin to respiratory pathogens in cystic fibrosis.

We have found that mannose-binding lectin binds to Burkholderia cepacia, an important pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis, and leads to complement activation, but that this is not the case for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the more common colonising organism in this disease. We suggest that patients with cystic fibrosis with mannose-binding-lectin deficiency will be at particular risk of B cepacia colonisation.