Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: UMLS:C0029713 (
immaturity
)
4,335
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Mannan-binding protein
(
MBP
) is an acute phase reactant, and its deficiency is associated with the common opsonic defect and suspectibility to infections and atopic constitution. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes occurring in the serum level of
MBP
in infancy and during later childhood. We studied the serum concentration of
MBP
in 611 Finnish children of different ages and 110 adults by using an enzyme immunoassay. In an analysis of successive serum samples from infants at the day of birth and at the ages of 1 and 5 months, and at 1 and 2 years, the serum concentration of
MBP
increased significantly after birth, and was at its highest (the mean and median were 8.13 and 8.49 mgl-1, respectively) at the age of 1 month. After that, it declined to the initial level until the age of 5 months. The
MBP
concentration continued to decrease during childhood, and after the age of 12 years the
MBP
values reached the adult level. In Finnish adults the mean and median concentrations of
MBP
were 4.48 and 4.02 mgl-1, respectively, which seem to be higher than those reported previously in other populations. The high concentration of
MBP
in infants may best be explained by exposure to novel environmental antigens in early childhood, which suggests a protective role for
MBP
during the period of
immaturity
of the immunosystem. In older children the high level of
MBP
can probably be explained by childhood infections and the ensuing need of
MBP
.
...
PMID:Age-dependent variation in the serum concentration of mannan-binding protein. 886 68
