Mannose bindıng lectin and macrophage inhibıtory factor gene polymorphisms in children wıth urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections in children, which may lead to chronic renal failure because of renal scarring. Mannose Binding Lectin (MBL) is one of the most important mediators in immunity, and macrophage inhibitor factor (MIF) is the cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation. In this study, we investigated the possible roles of both MBL and MIF gene polymorphisms on renal scarring and their relationship to UTIs in children.
102 children with UTI and 100 healthy controls were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 74 ± 58 months (59 female, 43 male). MBL (codon 54, A/B) and MIF (-173, G/C) gene polymorphisms were studied using a PCR-RFLP method.

The distributions of the MBL genotypes were AA: 56.9%, AB: 28.4% and BB: 14.7 % in the study group, and AA: 64%, AB: 35% and BB: 1% in healthy controls (p <0.05). We found a statistically significant relationship between the MBL genotype and the frequency of a UTI (p= 0.024). Children with the BB genotype had a 16.5 times increased risk of a UTI compared to the AB children, and children with the B allele had a 1.8 times increase in the risk of a UTI compared to the children with the A allele (p= 0.015).
The distributions of the MIF genotypes were GG: 51%, GC: 40.2% and CC: 8.8 % in the study group, and GG: 58%, GC: 40% and CC: 2% in healthy controls (p> 0.05). We found no statistically significant relationship between the MBL and the MIF gene polymorphisms and renal scarring (p> 0.05).

Main conclusion: The B allele of the MBL gene increases the tendency of UTI, and the AA genotype probably plays a preventive role against UTI in children.

No relevant conflicts of interest declared.