TY  - EJOU
AU  - Heesen, Michael 
AU  - Bloemeke, Brunhilde 
AU  - Kunz, Dagmar 

TI  - The cytokine synthesis by heterozygous carriers of the Toll-like receptor 4 Asp299Gly polymorphism does not differ from that of wild type homozygotes
T2  - European Cytokine Network

PY  - 2003
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
SN  - 1952-4005

AB  - Previous studies have found that heterozygosity for the A896G mutation of the endotoxin receptor
TLR4 confers susceptibility to Gram-negative infections and septic shock. To evaluate the underlying mecha-nisms,
we studied the association of the TLR4 polymorphism with endotoxin-induced cytokine synthesis in human
whole blood. Monocyte CD14 density and monocyte count were also determined. Healthy individuals were
genotyped by means of a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8
were measured by chemiluminescence. No significant differences in cytokine synthesis were observed between
heterozygous individuals and homozygous carriers of the wild type allele. Our study suggests that heterozygosity
for this TLR4 mutation is not a major factor determining the cytokine response to endotoxin.
KW  - Toll-like receptor 4
KW  -  tumor necrosis factor-a
KW  -  interleukin-6
KW  -  endotoxin
KW  -  genetic polymorphism
KW  -  polymerase chain reaction

DO  -