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SummaryThe objective of this work was to study the role of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in pneumococcal pneumonia, to determine whether MBL acts as an acute-phase reactant and whether the severity of the disease correlates with MBL levels. The study comprised 100 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia. The pneumonia severity score was calculated and graded into a risk class of mortality (Fine scale). The MBL genotypes and the levels of MBL and CRP at the acute and recovery phases were determined. Fifty patients with the wild-type MBL genotype showed higher MBL levels in each phase (P

Summary The aim of the study was to determine possible factors related to the risk of developing recurrent bacterial respiratory tract infections in HIV-1-infected patients, regardless of the degree of immune cellular impairment. Thirty-three HIV-1 seropositive patients with previous repetitive bacterial respiratory tract infections (case group), 33 HIV-1 seropositive controls (matched by CD4-cell counts) without these antecedents and 27 healthy controls were studied before and after administration of pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines. Clinical or toxicological variables, cutaneous tests, complement factors, beta2-microglobulin, serum IgM, IgA, IgG and subclasses, specific antibodies (IgG, IgG2, IgA) against pneumococcal vaccine and polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP), their avidity, opsonophagocytosis and IgG2m and FcγRIIa allotypes were determined. A history of drug abuse (P = 0·001), less likelihood of receiving high activity antiretroviral treatment high activity antiretroviral treatment (HAART) (P = 0·01), higher levels of HIV-1 viral load (P

Summary Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a serum protein that activates the complement and mediates phagocytosis. MBL levels and MBL2 genotype may impact upon host susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) disease but evidence to date has been conflicting. MBL2 exon 1 and promoter genotyping and serum MBL concentrations were determined in 79 patients with active tuberculosis (58 pulmonary TB and 21 extrapulmonary or miliary TB) and 120 household healthy contacts (HHC) from a Mediterranean area (Majorca Island, Spain). Significantly higher serum MBL levels were found in patients with active tuberculosis than in HHC [median MBL concentrations 3430 ng mL−1 (10–28 415) and 2600 ng mL−1 (5–20 000) respectively, P = 0.002]. These higher MBL levels were mainly related to the most prevalent YA/YA wild-type diplotype. There was a strong correlation between MBL2 exon 1 and promoter genotype and MBL levels. The diplotype LYQA/HYPA was present in 12 out of 57 of the pulmonary TB cases but in none of the extrapulmonary TB patients. Diplotype LXPA/HYPA, producer of high levels of MBL, was significantly more frequent in HHC than in patients (16.8% vs. 6.4%, P = 0.031) suggesting a protective role against the development of TB disease that has not been previously found.

Three female patients, 46, 34, and 19 years old, diagnosed of hyper-IgE syndrome are reported. The most relevant clinical findings are recurrent sinopulmonary tract infections, cold staphylococcal abscesses and chronic dermatitis. All patients presented elevated serum IgE levels (3,000 U/ml) and blood eosinophilia (0.6 x 10(9) cel/l). Two patients presented impaired antibody forming capacity to tetanus and pneumococcal antigens; one of these patients also had low serum IgG2 levels. After initiation of the intravenous gammaglobulin therapy, a marked improvement of infectious problems was observed. The controversial pathophysiology of this syndrome, the antibody deficiency present in some patients and the rationale for intravenous gammaglobulin therapy are discussed.