Abstract: Objective  To study the relationship between the polymorphism of the MBL gene and the susceptibility of tuberculosis (TB) in Xinjiang Uighur population.  Methods  The polymorphism of the MBL-A/B gene was analyzed by PCR-sequence specific primer (SSP) in 226 patients with pulmonary TB and 231 healthy controls who had a history of exposure to M. tuberculosis in Xinjiang Uighur population. The relationship between MBLgenotypes and the susceptibility of pulmonary TB was studied in accordance to the case-control study, and cases were grouped according to the genotypes.  Results  In the case group, AA, AB and BB genotypes at MBL gene A/B site were 106 cases (46.90%), 106 cases (46.90%) and 14 cases (6.20%), respectively. In the control group, AA, AB and BB genotypes were 146 cases (63.20%), 80 cases (34.63%) and 5 cases (2.17%), respectively. The frequency of BB genotypes at MBL gene A/B site in the case group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (6.20% vs 2.17%)(χ²=5.224，P_c＜0.05).  Conclusion  AA genotype of MBL gene may be protective factor for TB, while BB genotype may be risk factor for TB in Xinjiang Uighur population.

Key words: Tuberculosis,pulmonary, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mannosebinding lectin, Polymerase chain reaction, Genetic predisposition to disease, Xinjiang