Variations in genes involved in the immune
response pathways may influence the interaction
between viruses (such as Human T-lymphotropic
virus, HTLV-1) and the host. The
mannose binding lectin (MBL) and its associated
serine protease type 2 (MASP-2) promote
the activation of the lectin pathway of the
complement system. As the interaction of
complement system with HTLV-1 is not well
understood, the MBL2 promoter/exon 1 polymorphisms
and a MASP2 missense polymorphism
were examined in a Northeast Brazilian
population, looking for a possible relationship
between these variations and the susceptibility
to HTLV-1 infection. The present study describes
an association between a polymorphism
in the MASP2 gene and susceptibility to
HTLV-1 infection, and provides further evidence
of an association between the MBL2
gene and HTLV-1 infection. These findings
suggest an important role of the complement
system activation, via the lectin pathway, in
the susceptibility to HTLV-1 infection.
