TLR9 -1237 T/C and TLR2 -194 to -174 del polymorphisms and the risk of Parkinson's disease in the Greek population: a pilot study

Neurol Sci. 2013 May;34(5):679-82. doi: 10.1007/s10072-012-1106-x. Epub 2012 May 3.

Abstract

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important mediators of inflammatory responses by recognition of many pathogen-related molecules and endogenous proteins related to immune activation. Accumulating data have recently pointed out the role of neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of the TLR9 -1237 T/C and TLR2 -194 to -174 del polymorphisms in PD. We studied a total of 333 individuals, 215 Greek patients with sporadic PD and 118 control subjects, using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. No statistically significant differences were found between PD patients and control subjects for the TLR9 -1237 T/C genotypes or alleles. Regarding the TLR2 -196 to -174 del polymorphism, the del/del genotype and the del allele were overrepresented in the PD group compared to controls, however, this result did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.087). Further studies investigating the TLR-inflammatory background of PD are awaited to provide important insight into the aetiology of the disease.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Community Health Planning
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genotype
  • Greece / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / epidemiology
  • Parkinson Disease / genetics*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2 / genetics*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9 / genetics*

Substances

  • TLR2 protein, human
  • TLR9 protein, human
  • Toll-Like Receptor 2
  • Toll-Like Receptor 9