Circulating mannose-binding lectin in diabetic patients and risk of vascular complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Recent studies have confirmed the involvement of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) in the pathogenesis of vascular complications in individuals with diabetes. Due to the discrepancy between the results of studies, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate MBL levels in patients with diabetes and its vascular complications.

We reviewed all observational studies published in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science Core Collection databases to identify relevant studies up to 1 April 2024. To account for describing heterogeneity among the studies, I² and χ² statistics were utilized. Also, a random-effects model was employed to combine the studies. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) checklist was applied for quality assessment of each study.

Twenty-eight papers were encompassed in this meta-analysis. The mean difference in MBL levels between patients with diabetic nephropathy and diabetic retinopathy differed significantly compared with the healthy control group and the diabetic group without vascular complications (P-value < 0.05). Moreover, the pooled results revealed a significant relationship between MBL levels and the incidence of vascular complications (pooled HR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.07–1.95, P-value < 0.05) and disease-related mortality (pooled HR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.07–2.16, P-value < 0.05) among diabetic patients. Also, there was a direct association between incidence of nephropathy in diabetics and higher levels of MBL (pooled HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.52–3.08, P-value < 0.05).

Diabetic patients with elevated MBL levels are potentially at increased risk of vascular complications such as nephropathy and retinopathy. Therefore, by determining MBL status in diabetic patients, it is possible to predict the progress and possible consequences of the disease.