MBL2 and systemic lupus erythematosus: MBL2 polymorphisms and their influence on serum protein levels have been evaluated extensively and found to be associated with recurrent and severe infections (Sumiya et al., 1991; Summerfield et al., 1995), such as tuberculosis (da Cruz et al., 2013) and autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease (Boniotto et al., 2005), systemic lupus erythematosus (Lee et al., 2005), Sjögren’s syndrome (Tsutsumi et al., 2001), and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) (Bevilacqua Filho et al., 2012).