Serum levels of mannose-binding lectin and the risk of infection in pediatric oncology patients with chemotherapy.

Morbidity and mortality due to infections remain serious problems in pediatric oncology patients receiving chemotherapy. Association of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) levels with an increased risk for infection in previous studies was contradictory. The aim of this study was to determine whether MBL deficiency is associated with the risk of infections in pediatric oncology patients.