Association between primary vulvar vestibulitis syndrome, defective induction of tumor necrosis factor-α, and carriage of the mannose-binding lectin codon 54 gene polymorphism

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.05.037
• Publication Date: 2008-01-02T17:32:33Z
• Authors: Oksana Babula; Iara M. Linhares; Ann Marie Bongiov...; William J. Ledger; Steven S. Witkin
• Keywords: Ex vivo; Gene polymorphism

We evaluated whether women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) could be subdivided on the basis of genotyping the polymorphic mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene.DNA from 123 women with VVS was tested for a single nucleotide polymorphism at codon 54 of the MBL gene. Blood samples from 86 of the women were evaluated for ex vivo tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) production in response to Candida albicans, gram-positive peptidoglycan, and gram-negative lipopolysaccharide. Associations between laboratory findings and clinical characteristics were analyzed.The variant MBL*B allele was identified in 33 subjects (26.8%). This polymorphism was more prevalent in women whose symptoms developed at their first act of sexual intercourse (primary VVS, 40.9%), as opposed to women with secondary VVS (16.3%; P = .01). Ex vivo TNF-alpha production, but not IL-1ra production, was reduced in MBL*B carriers as compared with MBL*A homozygotes (P < or = .03).The MBL gene polymorphism is associated with the development of primary VVS and a reduced capacity for TNF-alpha production in response to microbial components.