The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of polymorphisms of TLR4, Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile and CD14, C-159T and C-550T in the development of RSV bronchiolitis.
By genotyping 236 children with RSV infection and 219 healthy controls we found no association between the risk of severe RSV infection and Asp299Gly polymorphisms (P>0.05), and we demonstrate that the TLR4 Asp299Gly genotype does not influence susceptibility to either RSV serotype A or B (P>0.05).
Both SNPs were highly associated with symptomatic RSV disease in this largely premature population (p < 0.0001), with 89.5% and 87.6% of cases being heterozygous for Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms versus published control frequencies of 10.5% and 6.5%, respectively.
The presence of TLR4 mutations (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) were associated with severe RSV bronchiolitis and were significantly over-represented in groups II and III.
We genotyped the CD14 promotor polymorphism -C159T and the two common TLR4 amino acid variants (D259G, and T359I) in 131 infants with severe RSV associated diseases and 270 controls.
The association of the TLR4 mutations (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) and the CD14/-159 polymorphism were analyzed in 99 infants hospitalized with severe RSV bronchiolitis (group I).