01925nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001000059653002800069653001100097653001900108653001100127653001200138653002000150653001200170653000900182653002700191653002500218653001300243653001500256653002800271100001600299700001200315700001800327700001300345700001600358700001300374700001400387700001600401700002100417245014600438300001000584490000700594520091200601022001401513       2006                            d  c2006 Jan-Feb10aAdult10aCell Adhesion Molecules10aFemale10aGene Frequency10aHumans10aLectins10aLectins, C-Type10aleprosy10aMale10aMolecular Epidemiology10aMycobacterium leprae10aPakistan10aPopulation10aReceptors, Cell Surface1 aBarreiro LB1 aQuach H1 aKrahenbuhl JL1 aKhaliq S1 aMohyuddin A1 aMehdi QS1 aGicquel B1 aNeyrolles O1 aQuintana-Murci L00aDC-SIGN interacts with Mycobacterium leprae but sequence variation in this lectin is not associated with leprosy in the Pakistani population.  a102-70 v673 a<p>The C-type lectin DC-SIGN is involved in early interactions between human innate immune cells and a variety of pathogens. Here we sought to evaluate whether DC-SIGN interacts with the leprosy bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae, and whether DC-SIGN genetic variation influences the susceptibility and/or pathogenesis of the disease. A case-control study conducted in a cohort of 272 individuals revealed no association between DC-SIGN variation and leprosy. However, our results clearly show that DC-SIGN recognizes M. leprae, indicating that mycobacteria recognition by this lectin is not as narrowly restricted to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex as previously thought. Altogether, our results provide further elucidation of M. leprae interactions with the host innate immune cells and emphasize the importance of DC-SIGN in the early interactions between the human host and the infectious agents.</p>  a0198-8859