Toll-like Receptor 4 Polymorphisms and Atherogenesis

The ability to mount a prominent inflammatory response to bacterial pathogens confers an advantage in innate immune defense but may signal an increased risk of atherosclerosis. We determined whether recently discovered genetic variants of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) that confer differences in the inflammatory response elicited by bacterial lipopolysaccharide are related to the development of atherosclerosis.

As part of the five-year follow-up in the Bruneck (Italy) Study, we screened 810 persons in the study cohort for the TLR4 polymorphisms Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile. The extent and progression of carotid atherosclerosis were assessed by high-resolution duplex ultrasonography.