Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a serum protein primarily produced by the liver. It belongs to the collectin family that comprises the collagen-like domain and the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). MBL functions as a key patternrecognition molecule recognizing a wide range of pathogens [8, 9] . Lectin pathway activation [10] and opsonophagocytosis are triggered upon MBL binding to pathogens [11] . While the MBL gene is highly polymorphic in humans, clinical association studies have demonstrated that MBL deficiency was associated with increased susceptibility to certain infections [12, 13] .