Association study of mannose-binding lectin levels and genetic variants in lectin pathway proteins with susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration: A case-control study

Abstract

Background In age-related macular degeneration (AMD) the complement system is thought to be activated by chronic oxidative damage with genetic variants identified in the alternative pathway as susceptibility factors. However, the involvement of the lectin pathway of complement, a key mediator of oxidative damage, is controversial. This study investigated whether mannose- binding lectin (MBL) levels and genetic variants in lectin pathway proteins, are associated with the predisposition to and severity of AMD. Methods MBL levels and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MBL2 and the ficolin-2 (FCN2) gene were determined in 109 patients with AMD and 109 age- and sex-matched controls. Re..