Association of the toll-like receptor 2 A-16934T promoter polymorphism with severe atopic dermatitis |
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Authors: | D-Y Oh R R Schumann L Hamann K Neumann M Worm G Heine |
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Institution: | Institut für Mikrobiologie und Hygiene;;Institut für Biometrie und klinische Epidemiologie;;Klinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Allergie-Centrum-Charité, CCM, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
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Abstract: | Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a multifactorial pathogenesis and increasing incidence in the Western world. A genetically determined defective function of pattern recognition receptors such as toll-like receptors (TLRs) has been proposed as a candidate mechanism in the pathogenesis of AD. Aim: To study the impact of genetic predisposition of five genes encoding for pattern recognition-related molecules for the phenotype of AD. Methods: We examined nine different single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies in the genes encoding TLR1, -2, -4, -9 and the adapter molecule TIRAP by PCR with subsequent melting curve analysis in a case/control cohort of 136 adult AD patients and 129 age and gender matched non-atopic, healthy individuals. TLR2-expression and -function in cells from genotyped individuals were analysed. Results: For the SNPs examined, similar genotype frequencies were found in both groups. In a subgroup of patients suffering from severe AD (SCORAD >50), a significantly increased representation of the A-allele in position –16934 of the tlr2 gene was present ( P = 0.004). Constitutive tlr2 mRNA expression in peripheral monocytes was independent of this tlr2 promoter SNP. Stimulation assays indicated that IL-6, but not TNF-α secretion following TLR2 stimulation is reduced in homozygous tlr2 -16934-A allele carriers. Conclusion: These data indicate that TLR2 is relevant for the phenotype of severe AD in adults. |
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Keywords: | atopic dermatitis IL-6 single-nucleotide polymorphism toll-like receptor |
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