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Influence of the presence of mannose-binding lectin polymorphisms on the occurrence of leishmaniasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis Study conducted at the Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil.

Abstract

Background

Leishmaniasis is caused by an intracellular protozoan of the Leishmania genus. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a serum complement protein and recognizes lipoprotein antigens in protozoa and the bacterial plasma membrane. Nucleotide variants in the promoter region and exon 1 of the MBL gene can influence its expression or change its molecular structure.

Objective

To evaluate, through a systematic review, case-control studies of the genetic association of variants in the MBL2 gene and the risk of developing leishmaniasis.

Methods

This review carried out a search in PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Lilacs databases for case-control publications with six polymorphisms in the mannose-binding Lectin gene. The following strategy was used: P = Patients at risk of leishmaniasis; I = Presence of polymorphisms; C = Absence of polymorphisms; O = Occurrence of leishmaniasis. Four case/control studies consisting of 791 patients with leishmaniasis and 967 healthy subjects (Control) are included in this meta-analysis. The association of variants in the mannose-binding Lectin gene and leishmaniasis under the allelic genetic model, -550 (Hvs. L), -221 (X vs. Y), +4 (Q vs. P), CD52 (A vs. D), CD54 (A vs. B), CD57 (A vs. C) and A/O genotype (A vs. O) was evaluated. International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42020201755.

Results

The meta-analysis results for any allelic genetic model showed no significant association for the variants within the promoter, the untranslated region, and exon 1, as well as for the wild-type A allele and mutant allele O with leishmaniasis.

Study limitations

Caution should be exercised when interpreting these results, as they are based on a few studies, which show divergent results when analyzed separately.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis showed a non-significant association between the rs11003125, rs7096206, rs7095891, rs5030737, rs1800450, and rs1800451 polymorphisms of the Mannose-binding Lectin gene and leishmaniasis in any allelic and heterogeneous evaluation.

Keywords
Leishmaniasis; Mannose-binding lectin; Polymorphism, genetic

Introduction

Leishmaniasis, a disease spread through bites by infected Phlebotomine sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus, is caused by intracellular parasitic protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus.11 Torres-Guerrero E, Quintanilla-Cedillo MR, Ruiz-Esmenjaud J, Arenas R. Leishmaniose: a review. 2017;6:750.,22 Oryan A, Akbari M. Worldwide risk factors in leishmaniasis. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 2016;9:925-32. Leishmaniasis exhibits a variety of clinical characteristics, and is classified as cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (ML), and visceral leishmaniasis (VL).22 Oryan A, Akbari M. Worldwide risk factors in leishmaniasis. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. 2016;9:925-32. Twelve million people in 98 countries have leishmaniasis. Approximately 1.5-2.0 million and 500,000 new cases of CL and VL, respectively, are detected annually, and the disease causes about 40,000 deaths a year.33 Alvar J, Vélez ID, Bern C, Herrero M, Desjeux P, Cano J, et al. Leishmaniasis worldwide and global estimates of its incidence. PLoS One. 2012;7:e35671. Leishmaniasis is influenced by several factors such as the host genetic origin, nutritional aspects, Leishmania spp., environmental and the immunological aspects.44 Burza S, Croft SL, Boelaert M. Leishmaniose. Lancet. 2018;392:951-70. A recent study reported that genetic variations in the host might play a key role in the susceptibility to leishmaniasis.55 Blackwell JM, Fakiola M, Castellucci LC. Human genetics of leishmania infections. Hum Genet. 2020;139:813-9. Many genes have been investigated, showing a strong relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of developing leishmaniasis, including IFN-G (interferon-gamma)66 Silva GAV, Mesquita TG, Souza VC, Santo Junior JE, Souza MLG, Talhari AC, et al. A Single Haplotype of IFNG Correlating With Low Circulating Levels of Interferon-γ Is Associated With Susceptibility to Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania guyanensis. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;71:274-81. and IL-6 (interleukin-6).77 Castellucci L, Menezes E, Oliveira J, Magalhães A, Guimarães LH, Lessa M, et al. IL6 -174 G/C promoter polymorphism influences susceptibility to mucosal but not localized cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil. J Infect Dis. 2006;194:519-27.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a pathogen recognition receptor (PRR) and plays a critical role in host immunity. MBL leads to the activation of the complement system.88 Takahashi K, Ezekowitz RAB. The role of the mannose-binding lectin in innate immunity. Clin Infect Dis. 2005;41:S440-4.,99 Vignesh P, Rawat A, Sharma M, Singh S. Complement in autoimmune diseases. Clin Chim Acta. 2017;465:123-30. This oligomeric protein consists of structural subunits formed by three identical 32 kD (kilodaltons) polypeptides, each containing a cross-link with the N-terminal region of cysteine, collagen linked to the neck region, and a region of the C-terminal domain that recognizes carbohydrates in microorganisms.1010 Garred P, Genster N, Pilely K, Bayarri-Olmos R, Rosbjerg A, Ma YJ, et al. A journey through the lectin pathway of complement-MBL and beyond. Immunol Rev. 2016;274:74-97.

Across multiple lectin domains, carbohydrates such as mannose (six-carbon carbohydrates) are found on the surface of several pathogens, including Trypanosoma cruzi,1111 Cestari IS, Krarup A, Sim RB, Inal JM, Ramirez MI. Role of early lectin pathway activation in the complement-mediated killing of Trypanosoma cruzi. Mol Immunol. 2009;47:426-37. Plasmodium falciparum,1212 Klabunde J, Uhlemann AC, Tebo AE, Kimmel J, Schwarz RT, Kremsner PG, et al. Recognition of plasmodium falciparum proteins by the mannan-binding lectin, a component of the immune system inato humano. Parasitol Res. 2002;88:113-7. and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.1313 Amiri A, Sabooteh T, Shahsavar F, Anbari K, Pouremadi F. Mannose-Binding Lectin (MBL) gene polymorphisms in pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility among the Lur population of Lorestan Province, Iran. Genom Data. 2017;12:146-50. After the recognition of these molecules by lectin, serine proteases are activated to facilitate opsonization (phagocytosis) by macrophages and lysis of the microorganism surface. 1414 Ip WKE, Takahashi K, Ezekowitz RA, Stuart LM. Mannose-binding lectin and innate immunity. Immunol Rev. 2009;230:9-21. The infectious form of Leishmania (promastigote) is characterized by the presence of lipophosphoglycans (LPG) and other molecules such as mannose.1515 Green PJ, Feizi T, Stoll MS, Thiel S, Prescott A, McConville MJ. Recognition of major cell surface glycoconjugates of Leishmania parasites by human serum mannan binding protein. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1994;66:319-28.,1616 Murugaiah V, Tsolaki AG, Kishore U. Collectins: Innate Immune Pattern Recognition Molecules. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1204:75-127. These components act as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are recognized by complement components.1717 Santos IKFM, Costa CHN, Krieger H, Feitosa MF, Zurakowski D, Fardin B, et al. Mannan-Binding Lectin Enhances Susceptibility to Visceral Leishmaniasis. Infection and Immunity. 2001;69:5212-5.,1818 Ambrosio AR, Messias-Reason IJT. Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis: interaction of mannose-binding lectin with surface glycoconjugates and complement activation. An antibody-independent defense mechanism. Parasite Immunol. 2005;27:333-40.

The MBL2 gene is located on chromosome 10 (10q11.2-q21).1919 Garred P. Mannose-binding lectin genetics: from A to Z. Biochem Soc Trans. Biochem Soc Trans. 2008;36:1461-6. Several SNPs have been identified in this gene, which are known for their functional effect on the development of infectious diseases.2020 Kim JS, Lee SY, Hahn HJ, Lee YB, Yu DS, Kim JW. Association of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the MBL2 with Atopic Dermatitis in Korean Patients. Ann Dermatol. 2017;29:571-7.

21 Li X, Cao X, El-Ashram S, Zhang W, Lu L, Wang X, et al. MBL2 rs7095891 G > A polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis in the Chinese Uygur population. Int J Mol Epidemiol Genet. 2018;9:64-70.
-2222 Ornelas AMM, Xavier-de-Carvalho C, Alvarado-Arnez LE, Ribeiro-Alves M, Rossi AD, Tanuri A, et al. Association between MBL2 haplotypes and dengue severity in children from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz. 2019;114:1-7 Functional SNPs, located in the promoter region, such as the -550 H/L SNP (G > C substitution, rs11003125), -221 X/Y (C > G substitution, rs7096206) and +4 Q/P (C > T substitution, rs7095891) located in the untranslated region, can regulate the transcription rate of the gene. 2323 Madsen HO, Garred P, Kurtzhals JA, Lamm LU, Ryder LP, Thiel S, et al. A new frequent allele is the missing link in the structural polymorphism of the human mannan-binding protein. Immunogenetics. 1994;40:37-44. In the first exon, there are three SNPs located at codon 52 CGT > TGT (rs5030737), codon 54 GGC > GAC (rs1800450) and codon 57 GGA > GAA (rs1800451), corresponding to amino acid changes of arginine to cysteine ​​(Arg52Cys, allele D), glycine to aspartic acid (Gly54Asp, allele B) and glycine to glutamic acid (Gly57Glu, allele C) in the collagen region of the polypeptide chain, respectively.2424 RJ Lipscombe, M. Sumiya, AV Hill, YL Lau, RJ Levinsky, JA Summerfield, et al. High frequencies in African and non-African populations of independent mutations in the mannose binding protein gene. Hum Mol Genet. 1992;1:709-15. These three polymorphisms form the AO system, in which the wild-type allele is described as the A allele and the O allele as a mutant. The A/O genotype is correlated with low levels of the protein and is undetectable for the O/O genotype.2525 Dogan P, Ozkan H, Koksal N, Oral HB, Bagci O, Varal IG. Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphism and its effect on short term outcomes in preterm infants. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2020;96:520-6.

Conflicting results are observed between the MBL2 gene variants and susceptibility to leishmaniasis. Variants featuring high levels of the protein have been associated with susceptibility to VL in Africa,2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7. northeastern Brazil,2727 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7. and India.2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. However, a study performed in individuals with CL in northern Amazonas, Brazil, showed that all polymorphisms related to low levels of MBL had a strong association with susceptibility.2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8.

Some studies have been conducted previously to assess the effects of the MBL2 gene polymorphisms on the evolution of the infection in leishmaniasis, with contradictory results due to the small sample size, which lacks adequate power to detect the effects of MBL2 gene polymorphisms on leishmaniasis.

To date, no systematic review has been performed on MBL2 gene variants and leishmaniasis. The use of a meta-analysis as a statistical tool to explore risk factors associated with different genetic diseases can provide a reliable conclusion. This systematic review included case-control studies of the genetic association of variants (rs11003125, rs7096206, rs7095891, rs5030737, rs1800450, and rs1800451) in the MBL2 gene and the risk of developing leishmaniasis. This systematic review is in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42020201755.

Materials and methods

Database search

This systematic review was carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol. 3030 Liberati A, Altman DG, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gøtzsche PC, Ioannidis JP, et al. A declaração PRISMA para relatar revisões sistemáticas e meta-análises de estudos que avaliam intervenções de saúde: explicação e elaboração. PLoS Med. 2009;6:e1000100. The PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Lilacs databases were searched up to December 2019 by three independent reviewers, with no language or time restrictions.

The following strategy was used: P = Patients at risk for leishmaniasis; I = Presence of polymorphisms; C = Absence of polymorphisms; O = Occurrence of leishmaniasis. The following terms were used in the search: (“Leishmaniasis ”OR “Cutaneous Leishmaniasis” OR “Visceral Leishmaniasis “OR “Leishmania Infection” OR “Leishmania Infections”) AND (“Mannose-binding Lectin” OR “Mannose-binding Lectin 2” OR “MBL” OR “MBL2”) AND (“Polymorphism” OR “Polymorphisms” OR “Single Nucleotide Polymorphism” OR “Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms”). The references cited in eligible articles were manually searched to identify additional publications. Ethical approval and informed consent were not required as this study was based on previously published studies, and there was no direct patient contact or influence on patient care.

Study selection

Two researchers independently evaluated all search results. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) Case-control study, 2) rs11003125 (-550), rs7096206 (-221), rs7095891 (+4), rs5030737 (Codon 52), rs1800450 (CD54) and rs1800451 (CD57) polymorphisms, 3) Studies with sufficiently available genotyping data to calculate the Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) and 4) the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). The exclusion criteria were: 1) Non-case-control study, 2) Case reports, 3) Reviews, 4) Animal studies, 5) Editorials, 6) Studies with no available data, 7) Studies with meta-analysis, 8) Other polymorphisms and 9) Duplicate data. Subsequently, all selected articles were verified by a third researcher, who resolved the divergences.

Data extraction

Two researchers independently extracted the following data from the included studies: year of publication, first author, study region, ethnic group, clinical form, number of samples, age, and studied SNPs. Disagreements between the researchers were discussed and resolved by consulting a third researcher.

Quality score evaluation

The Newcastle-Ottawa scale (Table 1) was used to assess the quality of the eligible studies. Using this system, each included study was submitted to three judgments: 1) Selection of study groups; 2) Comparability of the groups and 3) Outcome of interest (Case-Control). Three researchers independently calculated the score for each publication. The scores ranged from 0 to 9. Studies with a score > 6 were considered of high quality, while those with a score < 6 were listed as of low quality. Disagreements between the researchers were discussed in the group and resolved by consensus.

Table 1
Newcastle-Ottawa scale of included studies.

Statistical analysis

The meta-analysis evaluated the association of the MBL2 gene and leishmaniasis under the allelic genetic model, -550 (H vs. L), -221 (X vs. Y), +4 (Q vs. P), CD52 (A vs. D), CD54 (A vs. B), CD57 (A vs. C) and the A/O genotype (A vs. O). I2 was used to assess the heterogeneity between studies, where the values ​​25%, 50% and 75% corresponded to low, moderate, and high heterogeneity, respectively. The fixed model was used when I2 < 50%, and the random model was used when I2 > 50%. Pooled ORs were calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method, and the statistical significance of OR was determined using Z statistics. In both models, p = 0.005 was considered statistically significant. The RStudio software (www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/), version 1.3.1 for Windows was used for the statistical analysis of the study. Packages (“tidyverse”), (“meta”), (“metafor”).

Results

Characteristics of the included studies

A total of 389 published articles were identified using scientific literature databases (Fig. 1). Among the selected articles, 35 were removed due to duplication, 349 articles were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. Finally, only four articles,2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7.

27 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7.

28 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6.
-2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. that met the mandatory criteria, were included in the meta-analysis. These studies were published in English between the years 2007 and 2015 (Table 2).

Table 2
Leishmaniasis. Characteristics of the studies included in the systematic review.

Fig. 1
Flowchart of the literature review process according to the PRISMA protocol.

One study was conducted on African children.2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7. Two other studies were carried out in mixed populations from the northeastern region of Brazil, consisting of 21% European, 31% African, and 48% Native American descendants,2727 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7. and from the northern region of Brazil (state of Amazonas), with a mixed population of 10% African, 40% European, and 50% Native American descendants.2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. The fourth study was conducted in India but did not specify the ethnicity of the studied subjects.2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. Three studies analyzed patients with VL,2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7.

27 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7.
-2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. and one analyzed patients with CL.2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. The identified Leishmania spp were: L. chagasi, 2727 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7. L. infantum,2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7. L. guyanensis2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. and L. donovani.2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. One study analyzed all polymorphisms targeted by this meta-analysis,2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. while another analyzed only five SNPs (rs11003125, rs7096206, rs5030737, rs1800450 e rs1800451).2727 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7. One study analyzed three SNPs (rs7096206, rs1800450, and rs1800451),2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7. and the remaining study analyzed only one SNP (rs7095891).2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. Two studies provided sufficient data to perform the A/O system analysis.2727 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7.,2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. A total of 1758 individuals participated in these studies (791 patients and 967 controls). According to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, two studies scored 9 points, and two scored 8 points (Table 1). The frequency of genotypes and alleles are organized in Table 3.

Table 3
Allelic genetic model adopted in the meta-analysis to evaluate the association of MBL2 gene polymorphisms and leishmaniasis.

Meta-analysis

The results of the meta-analysis are shown in Fig. 2. None of the analyses for any allele genetic model for the two variants (-550 and -221) in the promoter and the +4 variants in the untranslated regions showed any association with susceptibility or resistance to Leishmaniasis (−550H Allele: OR = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.76-1.12; p = 0.93; I2= 0% and −550 L allele: OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.89-1.32; p = 0.93; I2= 0%), -221X allele: OR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.45-2.13; p = 0.01; I2 = 91% and -221Y allele: OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 0.47-2.22; p = 0.01; I2= 91%) and Q + 4 allele: OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.54-1.33; p = 0.03; I2= 79% and P allele: OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.75-1.84; p = 0.03; I2 = 79%). Similar results were obtained for variants located on exon 1 CD52 (allele A of the allele: OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 0.68-1.87; p = 0.87; I2 = 0% and allele D of the allele: OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.53-1.47; p = 0.87; I2 = 0%), CD54 (allele A: OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.62-1.75; p = 0.01; I2 = 79% and allele B: OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.57-1.61; p = 0.01; I2= 79%) and CD57 ( allele A: OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.44-1.62; p = 0.03; I2 = 72% and allele C: OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.62-2.26; p = 0.03; I2= 72%). The presence of the wild-type A allele (A allele: OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.39-2.81; p = 0.01; I2= 94%) and the mutant O allele (O allele: OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.36-2.56; p = 0.01; I2= 94%) were also not associated with susceptibility or resistance.

Fig. 2
Forest plot of the meta-analysis of the comparison between mutant alleles versus wild-type alleles of the SNPs.

Discussion

MBL recognizes the presence of mannose on the surface of pathogens to promote opsonization and activation of the complement system.3131 Drentin N, Conroy P, Gunzburg MJ, Pike RN, Wijeyewickrema LC. Investigation of the mechanism of interaction between the serine protease-2 associated with the mannose-binding lectin and the C4 complement. Mol Immunol. 2015;67:287-93. MBL plays a key role in the innate immune response,3232 Singh SS, Cheung RCF, Wong JH, NG TB. Mannose Binding Lectin: A Potential Biomarker for Many Human Diseases. Curr Med Chem. 2016;23:3847-60. highlighting its serum concentration as a requirement for predisposition to the development of human infectious diseases.3333 Gupta K, Gupta RK, Hajela K. Associações de doenças de lectina ligadora de manose e potencial de terapia de reposição. Indian J Med Res. 2008;127:431-40,3434 Heitzeneder S, Seidel M, Förster-Waldl E, Heitger A. Mannan-binding lectin deficiency - Good news, bad news, doesn't matter? Clin Immunol. 2012;143:22-38. MBL2 gene variants have been associated with an increased risk of infections caused by protozoa.3535 Weitzel T, Zulantay I, Danquah I, Hamann L, Schumann RR, Apt W, et al. Mannose-binding lectin and Toll-like receptor polymorphisms and Chagas disease in Chile. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012;86:229-32.,3636 Jha AN, Sundaravadivel P, Singh VK, Pati SS, Patra PK, Kremsner PG, et al. MBL2 variations and malaria susceptibility in indigenous populations. Infect Immun. 2014;82:52-61. However, few studies have investigated genetic variants in the MBL2 gene in Leishmaniasis.2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7.

27 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7.

28 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6.
-2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. Three studies have suggested that variants correlated with low circulating levels of MBL are protective for VL,2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7.,2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. while one study showed susceptibility to CL.2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8.

The conflicting results generated by most studies had weak statistical power due to the small sample size included. To clarify conflicting results in genetic association studies, a meta-analysis offers a powerful method to synthesize data obtained from independent studies.3737 Ioannidis JPA, Rosenberg PS, Goedert JJ, O'Brien TR, International Meta-analysis of HIV Host Genetics. Commentary: meta-analysis of individual participants' data in genetic epidemiology. Am J Epidemiol. 2002;156:204-10. To address the limitations of case-control studies, the present meta-analysis was performed to provide statistical evidence of the association between MBL2 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to leishmaniasis with clustered ORs. To date, this is the first meta-analysis to address the association between the described polymorphisms and leishmaniasis. Previous meta-analyses have suggested an association of polymorphisms in the IL2RA (Interleukin 2 Receptor alpha)3838 Oliveira PRS, Dessein H, Romano A, Cabantous S, Brito MEF, Santoro F, et al. IL2RA genetic variants reduce IL-2 dependent responses and aggravate human cutaneous leishmaniasis. J Immunol. 2015;194:2664-72. and SLC11A1 (solute carrier family 11 member 1)3939 Braliou GG, Kontou PI, Boleti H, Bagos PG. Susceptibility to leishmaniasis is affected by host SLC11A1 gene polymorphisms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitol Res. 2019;118:2329-42. genes with the clinical aspects of leishmaniasis.

In the present study, data from four studies were analyzed according to the low- and high- MBL producing alleles. However, the meta-analysis analyses showed no association between MBL2 gene alleles and susceptibility to leishmaniasis (Fig. 2). High heterogenicity was observed for the variants: -550 H/L (91%), +4 Q/P (79%), CD54 A/B (79%), CD57 A/C (72%) and A/O (94%). This can be explained mainly by the ethnic miscegenation of the individuals included in the selected studies. Three studies investigated patients with VL,2626 Hamdi S, Ejghal R, Idrissi M, Ezzikouri S, Hida M, Soong L, et al. A variant of the MBL2 promoter is associated with protection against visceral leishmaniasis in Morocco. Infect Genet Evol. 2013;13:162-7.

27 Alonso DP, Ferreira AFB, Ribolla PEM, Santos IKFM, Cruz MSP, Carvalho FA, et al. Mannan-binding lectin gene genotypes and susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis and clinical complications. J Infect Dis. 2007;195:1212-7.
-2828 Mishra A, Antony JS, Gai P, Sundaravadivel P, Van TH, Jha AN, et al. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int. 2015;64:591-6. and one patient was investigated with CL.2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. In each study, the species of the etiologic agent were different. It is important to note that the heterogeneity value influences the adequate statistical model. Studies with small sample sizes can show unreliable results. As a consequence, the random model must always be applied.4040 Kavvoura FK, Ioannidis JPA. Meta-analysis methods in genetic association studies: a review of their potential and pitfalls. Hum Genet. 2008;123:1-14. Among the selected studies, one analyzed all six target polymorphisms, the diplotypes, and also the haplotypes,2929 Araujo FJ, Mesquita TG, Silva LDO, Almeida SA, Vital WS, Chrusciak-Talhari A, et al. Variações funcionais no gene MBL2 estão associadas à leishmaniose tegumentar no estado do Amazonas, Brasil. Genes Immun. 2015;16:284-8. with high sample size.

However, caution should be exercised when interpreting these results, as they are based on a few studies, which show divergent results when analyzed separately. Therefore, further studies are needed to confirm whether the variants that determine low serum levels are susceptible or protective. The great importance of the association study involving genetic markers in leishmaniasis is emphasized, aiming at a new understandings of the molecular mechanisms of the disease. The variants can be used as molecular markers of the individual predisposition to certain types of diseases or as therapeutic targets in the development of new drugs.

Conclusion

Overall, this meta-analysis showed no significant association between polymorphisms rs11003125, rs7096206, rs7095891, rs5030737, rs1800450, and rs1800451 of the MBL2 gene and leishmaniasis.

  • Financial support
    None declared.
  • Study conducted at the Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    13 June 2022
  • Date of issue
    May-Jun 2022

History

  • Received
    01 June 2021
  • Accepted
    03 Aug 2021
  • Published
    21 Mar 2022
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