01418nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653002300058653001600081653001000097653002000107653002100127653001500148653001100163653001200174653001200186653002600198653003000224653002100254100002300275700001600298700001300314245009700327300001000424490000800434520066000442022001401102       2009                            d  c2009 Mar 1510aChromosome Mapping10aDNA Primers10aExons10aGenes, Dominant10aGenes, Recessive10aHaplotypes10aHumans10aLectins10aleprosy10aPolymorphism, Genetic10aPromoter Regions, Genetic10aReference Values1 aMessias-Reason LJT1 aKremsner PG1 aKun JF J00aFunctional haplotypes that produce normal ficolin-2 levels protect against clinical leprosy.  a801-40 v1993 a<p>Host factors have been shown to play a significant role in the susceptibility to and clinical outcome of leprosy. Here, we analyze polymorphisms of the gene encoding ficolin-2 (FCN2), which is a soluble pattern-recognition molecule. A total of 158 patients with leprosy and 210 healthy control subjects from Brazil were investigated. Polymorphisms in the promoter and exon 8 of FCN2 were assessed by DNA sequencing. The distribution of functional FCN2 haplotypes amongpatients was significant different from that among the control subjects (P = .004). These results unveil an immunogenetic role for ficolin-2 in the host response against M. leprae.</p>  a0022-1899