Toll-like receptor 6 Ser249Pro polymorphism is associated with lower left ventricular wall thickness and inflammatory response in hypertensive women.

Background Experimental data demonstrated that inactivation of toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway components attenuated left ventricular (LV) remodeling induced by pressure overload. This study investigated the impact of TLR6 Ser249Pro polymorphism on LV structure in hypertensive subjects. Methods A sample of 443 patients (266 women and 177 men) was evaluated by clinical history, physical examination, analysis of inflammatory and metabolic parameters, echocardiography, and genotyping of the TLR6 variant. Moreover, the relationship between genotypes and in vitro responsiveness of peripheral blood monocytic cells to TLR agonists was also assessed. r esults