Circulating levels of mannose binding protein in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Mannose binding protein (MBP) is a serum lectin which, upon binding to a carbohydrate extremity acquires the ability to activate the classical complement pathway. MBP binds human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro via glycans on gp 120 and thus, it may play a defensive role in HIV infection and contribute to virus clearance through the activation of complement associated with this condition. We measured serum MBP and activation indices of the classical complement pathway (plasma C4d and C3d) in HIV-seropositive patients at different stages of disease severity, and in normal subjects. MBP was higher in HIV patients as a whole and in each Centers for Disease Control (CDC) group than controls (P<0.01). MBP was not significantly different between CDC groups and did not significantly correlate either with CD4-positive lymphocytes, neopterin or beta(2)-microglobulin or with C4d and C3d. The possibility that MBP plays a defensive role in HIV infection cannot be excluded, but, if it is, it does nor appear to act by recruiting complement for vital elimination.