Toll-like receptor 1 variation increases the risk of transplant-related mortality in hematologic malignancies

Toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1) genetic variant (rs5743551, -7202A>G) has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to various infectious diseases. We retrospectively examined the impact of TLR1 variation on transplant outcomes in a cohort of 320 patients who underwent unrelated HLA-matched bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for hematologic malignancies. A multivariate analysis showed that the G/G genotype in the recipients and the donors was associated with a significantly lower 3-year transplant-related mortality (TRM). The recipient G/G genotype also resulted in a better 3-year progression-free survival. This study suggests that the recipient and donor TLR1 G/G genotypes are comparably associated with a reduced risk of death that was not related to relapse. Thus, TLR1 genotyping may be useful for selecting the donor, managing patients in a risk-adapted manner, and creating therapeutic strategies to prevent complications after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.