title: Genetic Polymorphisms of TLR4 and MICA are Associated with Severity of Trachoma Disease in Tanzania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of TLR4 Asp299Gly and MICA exon 5 microsatellites polymorphisms with severity of trachoma in a sub-Saharan East Africa population of Tanzanian villagers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The samples were genotyped for MICA exon 5 microsatellites and the TLR4 299 A/G polymorphism by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), and GeneScan®, respectively. The association of TLR4 Asp299Gly and MICA exon 5 microsatellites with inflammatory trachoma (TI) and trichiasis (TI) were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed an association between TLR4 and MICA polymorphisms and trachoma disease severity, as well as with protection. TLR4 an allele was significantly associated with inflammatory trachoma (p=0.0410), while the G allele (p=0.0410) was associated with protection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLR4 and MICA may modulate the risk of severity to trachoma disease by modulating the immune response toCt.In addition; the increased frequency of MICA-A9 heterozygote in controls may suggest a positive selection of these alleles in adaptation to environments whereCtis endemic.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Muneer
authors: M
authors: Abbas
authors: Calgary Laboratory Services, Tissue Typing Laboratory, Canada.
authors: Noureddine
authors: N
authors: Berka
authors: Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Drug Discovery, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
authors: Mozna
authors: M
authors: Khraiwesh
authors: Department of Pathology, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Ramadan
authors: Department of Microbiology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, Howard University, Washington DC, USA.
authors: Victor
authors: V
authors: Apprey
authors: Department of Microbiology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Paulette
authors: P
authors: Furbert-Harris
authors: International Health, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Maryland, USA.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Quinn
authors: Department of Pathology, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Hassan
authors: H
authors: Brim
authors: Department of Microbiology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors: Georgia
authors: G
authors: Dunston
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; Inflammation; MICA; Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain related gene A; Microsatellite polymorphism; Single nucleotide polymorphism; Toll like receptor 4; Trachoma; Trichiasis