Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) and Typhoid Fever in Vietnam
2009

Genetic Variations in TLR4 and Typhoid Fever in Vietnam

Sample size: 786 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Hue Nguyen Thi, Lanh Mai Ngoc, Phuong Le Thi, Vinh Ha, Chinh Nguyen Tran, Hien Tran Tinh, Hieu Nguyen T., Farrar Jeremy J., Dunstan Sarah J.

Primary Institution: Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hypothesis

Genetic variants of TLR4 could detrimentally affect the innate immune response against S. typhi infection.

Conclusion

The study suggests that TLR4 may be involved in defense against typhoid fever in the Vietnamese population.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study identified 10 polymorphisms in the TLR4 gene, with 7 being novel.
  • Two SNPs, T4025A and C4215G, were more frequent in typhoid cases than in controls.
  • The odds ratio for C4215G indicated a potentially large effect on typhoid susceptibility.

Takeaway

This study looked at how changes in a gene called TLR4 might affect how people get sick from typhoid fever. They found some changes in the gene that could make it harder for the body to fight the infection.

Methodology

DNA from 414 typhoid fever patients and 372 controls was analyzed for TLR4 genetic variations using mutation detection and genotyping.

Potential Biases

Potential confounding effects from using cord blood controls.

Limitations

The study's sample size may not have sufficient power to detect the role of rare mutations in disease susceptibility.

Participant Demographics

All participants were unrelated Vietnamese Kinh ethnicity individuals.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.04

Confidence Interval

95%CI 0.8–307

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004800

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