Mannose-Binding Lectin Levels in Late-Onset Sepsis in Preterm Infants: Results from a Prospective Study in a Tertiary Care Center.

This study aimed to determine the association between serum mannose-binding lectin (MBL) levels, gene polymorphisms and late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants. Infants with <37 gestational weeks were categorized into two groups according to the presence of LOS during their hospitalization. An MBL level <700 ng/ml was defined as deficiency, <400 ng/ml as severe deficiency. Codon 54 and 57 polymorphisms of gene were analyzed. Overall, 153 preterm infants were included. MBL deficiency was found to be more common in the LOS group ( = 0.02). The rate of Gram-negative sepsis was higher in variant-type ( = 0.01). In the logistic regression analysis, MBL levels <700 ng/ml were found to have a significant effect on LOS development (odds ratio: 2.692, 95% confidence interval 1.196-5.8,  = 0.02). MBL deficiency is an important risk factor for the development of LOS. Furthermore, there is an association between gene polymorphism and Gram-negative sepsis.