A polymorphism in TLR3, rs3775291 (Leu412Phe), has been associated with the increased susceptibility to enteroviral myocarditis, protection against tick-borne encephalitis virus and HIV-1 infection.
Thus, TLR3 prevents the progression from myocarditis to iDCM following CVB3 infection by reducing acute viral replication and IL-4 levels in the heart.
We screened TLR3 in patients diagnosed with enteroviral myocarditis/cardiomyopathy and identified a rare variant in one patient as well as a significantly increased occurrence of a common polymorphism compared with controls.