Is there a role for mannan-binding lectin in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease?

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) activates the lectin-complement pathway as part of the innate immune defence by binding to the surface of microorganisms. Therefore, MBL2 presents an interesting candidate gene for the inflammatory bowel diseases, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). In our study, we evaluated the MBL serum concentrations and genotypes for diagnostic and classification purposes of patients with CD and UC. The MBL serum concentration was analysed in 98 CD patients and in 83 UC patients. In total, 82 patients with inflammatory rheumatic disorders and 189 healthy individuals served as controls. All study subjects were genotyped for the MBL2 polymorphisms G54D, G57E and R52C and the NOD2 (CARD15) mutations R702W, G908R and L1007fsinsC. Neither the median MBL serum concentration nor the MBL2 genotype distribution differed significantly between cohorts. Measurement of MBL serum concentrations offers no benefit for the diagnosis of CD or UC.