JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY, cilt.34, sa.10, ss.2075-2077, 2007 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective. Mannose binding lectin (MBL), a member of the collectin family proteins, is a major molecule of the innate immune system; MBL deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infections. As gastrointestinal and genitourinary infections are suggested to be among the etiological factors of spondyloarthropathies (SpA), we investigated MBL deficiency in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and undifferentiated SpA (uSpA).