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CD14 C-159T and toll-like receptor 4 Asp299Gly polymorphisms in surviving meningococcal disease patients

Ariane Biebl1, Axel Muendlein, Zhyrgal Kazakbaeva

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University Teaching Hospital, Feldkirch, Austria. ariane.biebl@gespag.at

Plos One
|October 8, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Genetic variations in CD14 and TLR4 do not significantly impact invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) risk. This study found no association between CD14 C-159T and TLR4 Asp299Gly polymorphisms and IMD susceptibility in surviving patients.

Area of Science:

  • Immunogenetics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

  • Neisseria meningitidis carriage affects about 10% of the population, with unpredictable invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) onset.
  • Host factors influencing bacterial bloodstream invasion and subsequent IMD remain largely unknown.
  • Innate immunity plays a crucial role in pathogen recognition, with specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CD14 and TLR4 implicated in gram-negative infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between CD14 C-159T and TLR4 Asp299Gly polymorphisms and the risk of developing IMD.
  • To determine if these innate immune gene variants influence susceptibility to invasive meningococcal disease.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective case-control study involving 185 surviving Austrian patients with confirmed meningococcal infection and 770 healthy controls.
  • DNA analysis of buccal swabs was performed to genotype the CD14 C-159T and TLR4 Asp299Gly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
  • Statistical analysis compared the frequencies of these SNPs between IMD patients and controls to assess their association with disease risk.

Main Results:

  • No significant association was found between the CD14 C-159T polymorphism and the presence of IMD (Odds Ratio = 1.14, p = 0.266).
  • The TLR4 Asp299Gly polymorphism also showed no significant association with IMD risk (Odds Ratio = 0.78, p = 0.359).
  • These findings indicate that the studied SNPs in CD14 and TLR4 do not appear to influence susceptibility to invasive meningococcal disease in the studied population.

Conclusions:

  • The study did not find a significant influence of CD14 C-159T and TLR4 Asp299Gly polymorphisms on the risk of developing IMD.
  • This is the first study, to our knowledge, to examine the impact of the CD14 C-159T SNP on susceptibility to invasive meningococcal disease.
  • Further research may be needed to identify other host genetic factors contributing to IMD pathogenesis.

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