Toll-like receptor 4 promoter polymorphisms: common TLR4 variants may protect against severe urinary tract infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Polymorphisms affecting Toll-like receptor (TLR) structure appear to be rare, as would be expected due to their essential coordinator role in innate immunity. Here, we assess variation in TLR4 expression, rather than structure, as a mechanism to diversify innate immune responses.

Methodology/principal findings

We sequenced the TLR4 promoter (4,3 kb) in Swedish blood donors. Since TLR4 plays a vital role in susceptibility to urinary tract infection (UTI), promoter sequences were obtained from children with mild or severe disease. We performed a case-control study of pediatric patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) or those prone to recurrent acute pyelonephritis (APN). Promoter activity of the single SNPs or multiple allelic changes corresponding to the genot

SUBMITTER: Ragnarsdottir B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2873976 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature