{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T01:39:04Z","timestamp":1768959544440,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768867200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Vaccines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Hepatitis B vaccination is the most effective strategy for preventing chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; however, interindividual variability in vaccine-induced antibody responses remains a significant challenge in the field. Innate immune components, particularly lectin complement pathway proteins such as mannose-binding lectin (MBL), mannose-associated serine protease 1 (MASP-1), and mannose-associated serine protease 2 (MASP-2), may contribute to this variability in outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum MBL, MASP-1, and MASP-2 levels, birth weight, and humoral response to hepatitis B vaccination in infants. Methods: This single-center prospective observational study included 37 term infants who received hepatitis B vaccinations at birth, 1 month, and 6 months of age according to the national immunization schedule. Venous blood samples were collected at month 6, before, and month 7 after the 3rd vaccine dose. Serum MBL, MASP-1, MASP-2, and antiHB levels were measured using commercial ELISA and chemiluminescence assays. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests and Spearman\u2019s correlation analysis. Results: AntiHB levels increased significantly following vaccination (median Pre-3rdVac: 125.8 mIU\/mL; Post-3rdVac: 609.7 mIU\/mL; p &lt; 0.001). MASP-1 concentrations also showed a significant Post-3rdVac increase (median Pre-3rdVac: 809.52 ng\/mL; Post-3rdVac: 1133.93 ng\/mL; p = 0.019). Birth weight was positively correlated with both MASP-1 levels (rs = 0.492, p = 0.004) and changes in MASP-1 concentrations (rs = 0.524, p = 0.002) after the third dose. In addition, MASP-1 levels were positively associated with antiHB levels (rs = 0.385, p = 0.030) and Post-3rdVac antiHB titers (rs = 0.493, p = 0.004). In contrast, serum MBL and MASP-2 concentrations were not significantly associated with antiHB levels before or after vaccination. Conclusions: MASP-1, but not MBL or MASP-2, is associated with the magnitude of the antibody response to hepatitis B vaccination in infants. These findings suggest that specific components of the lectin pathway may influence vaccine-induced immunity, independent of MBL. Further large-scale studies incorporating genetic and functional analyses are warranted to clarify the mechanisms by which lectin pathway proteins shape hepatitis B vaccine response.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines14010098","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T13:02:07Z","timestamp":1768914127000},"page":"98","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Role of MASP1, MASP2, and Mannose-Binding Lectin in the Immune Response to Hepatitis B Vaccination in Infants"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3932-1883","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ay\u015fe Esra","family":"Tapc\u0131","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"\u0130smail","family":"Bulut","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neonatology, Etlik City Hospital, 06170 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1197-1000","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ser\u00e7in","family":"Ta\u015far","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-2015-6932","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zeynep","family":"Kallimci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9178-7892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kezban \u00c7avdar","family":"Yetkin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9948-2972","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meliha","family":"Sevim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3276-748X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"O\u011fuzhan","family":"Serin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Hacettepe University, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4367-725X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Medine Ay\u015fin","family":"Ta\u015far","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7924-5478","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mehmet","family":"\u015eenes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1086-780X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00fclent","family":"Alio\u011flu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, 06230 Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"773","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6728a2","article-title":"Access to Treatment for Hepatitis B Virus Infection\u2014Worldwide, 2016","volume":"67","author":"Hutin","year":"2018","journal-title":"MMWR Morb. 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