title: Toll-like receptor-9 in Spanish multiple sclerosis patients: an association with the gender.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9) is a potent inducer of innate immune system triggered by infection with viruses, some of them previously related to multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to analyze the possible association of two TLR9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs352162 and rs187084) with susceptibility to MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two independent cohorts of MS patients and controls were included: 574 clinically definite relapsing-remitting MS patients (367 females) and 807 healthy controls (418 females) for the first cohort; and 366 relapsing-remitting MS patients (238 females) and 224 healthy controls (160 females) for the second cohort. Genotyping was performed by TaqMan assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AT haplotype was found to be significantly higher in women than in men (P = 0.013 and P = 0.044).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here two possible genetic markers are proposed that could be also associated with the differences observed in the clinical course of MS in both genders. Further studies with larger cohorts should be performed to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Dominguez-Mozo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia-Montojo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Cavanillas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Las Heras
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Martinez
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arias-Leal
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Urcelay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arroyo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Lafuente
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013030:Spain; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9
keywords: TLR9; gender; multiple sclerosis