Toll-like receptor 4 polymorphism and its association with symptomatic neurocysticercosis.
BACKGROUND
Symptoms and signs of neurocysticercosis (NCC) are nonspecific and depend upon several factors, including the host immune response to the parasite. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in innate immunity. Susceptibility of humans to NCC in relation to TLR polymorphism is unknown. The present study examines TLR4 polymorphism in human NCC and its role in symptomatic disease.


METHODS
A total of 140 patients with NCC (82 symptomatic [ie, with active epilepsy] and 58 asymptomatic) and 150 healthy control subjects were examined for TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms by means of polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment-length polymorphism.


RESULTS
TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile were significantly associated with the occurrence of NCC (P < .001 for Asp299Gly; P = .003 for Thr399Ile) and progression to symptomatic NCC, compared with control subjects (P < .001 for Asp299Gly; P < .001 for Thr399Ile) or asymptomatic NCC (P < .001 for Asp299Gly; P = .002 for Thr399Ile). Frequency of haplotype Gly/Thr (P <.001) was observed to be a risk factor for susceptibility to NCC. Gly and Ile carriers had a statistically significant association with NCC (P < .001 for Gly; P = .003 for Ile) and symptomatic NCC (P < .001 for Gly; P <or= .001 for Ile), compared with control subjects. Both carriers were also associated with symptomatic NCC (P < .001 for Gly; P < .004 for Ile), when compared with asymptomatic NCC.
Verma
Avantika
A
Departments of 1Microbiology, 2Radiology, 3Biostatistics, and 4Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Prasad
Kashi Nath
KN
Gupta
Rakesh Kumar
RK
Singh
Aloukick Kumar
AK
Nyati
Kishan Kumar
KK
Rizwan
Arshi
A
Pandey
Chandra Mohan
CM
Paliwal
Vimal Kumar
VK
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4