Objective:To test the hypothesis that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes alter susceptibility to bacterial infections and modulate white blood cell (WBC) counts during infections in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (birth weight <1500 g).Study design:VLBW infants recruited in a multicenter study were genotyped for nine functional TLR SNPs and associations between SNPs and infection rates examined. WBC counts obtained during infections were compared among infants with and without SNPs.Result:In our cohort (n=408), 90 infants developed bacterial infections. Presence of TLR4 (rs4986790 and rs4986791) variants were associated with Gram-negative (G-ve) infections. Female infants heterozygous for the X-linked IRAK1 (rs1059703) SNP had less G-ve infections. In regression models controlling for confounders, the TLR4 (rs4986790) SNP was associated with increased G-ve infections. The TLR5 (rs5744105) variant was associated with elevated WBC counts during infections.Conclusion:TLR genetic variants can contribute to increased risk of bacterial infections and altered immune responses in VLBW infants. © 2013 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.
CITATION STYLE
Sampath, V., Mulrooney, N. P., Garland, J. S., He, J., Patel, A. L., Cohen, J. D., … Hines, R. N. (2013). Toll-like receptor genetic variants are associated with Gram-negative infections in VLBW infants. Journal of Perinatology, 33(10), 772–777. https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2013.80
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