A toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) variant is associated with asthma severity

Asthma is a complex airways disease resulting from the input of both biological and environmental factors. Previous studies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which produces a protein involved in regulating T cell populations, have presented conflicting results regarding its role in asthma severity. In the current study, individuals with asthma were genotyped for variants of TLR4, and the genotypes were compared with asthma severity and T cell subpopulations. TLR4 rs11536879 (A>G) and rs1927907 (G>A) genotypes were determined in 350 asthma patients using TaqMan. Asthma severity was graded by clinical symptoms, and blood markers and lung function measures were also collected. T cell subpopulations were identified from peripheral blood by flow cytometry. No significant correlations were observed between genotypes at TLR4 rs11536879 or rs1927907 and eosinophil counts, total serum IgE, serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1%), or FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) in asthma patients (P > 0.05). However, the GG genotype of rs1927907 was correlated with higher asthma severity (P < 0.05). No associations were detected between genotypes at rs11536879 or rs1927907 and CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cell counts in peripheral blood from asthmatic patients (P > 0.05), but the rs1927907 genotype was associated with TLR4 expression on the surface of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells (P < 0.05). Therefore, the TLR4 variant rs1927907 appears to be related to asthma severity and TLR4 expression on the surface of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells, suggesting the potential influence of TLR4 on T cell population balances.