TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile and TLR2 intron 2 microsatellite gene polymorphism in patients with acute biliary pancreatitis: Does it cause the disease?

OBJECTIVES: There has been coverage of Toll-like receptor 4 and Toll-like receptor 2 gene polymorphisms in inflammatory episodes in a number of studies. In view of the inflammatory nature of acute pancreatitis, we aimed to determine the predictive value of mutations in Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile of the Toll-like receptor 4 gene, and the intron 2 microsatellite polymorphism of the Toll-like receptor 2 gene on the occurrence of acute biliary pancreatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 86 patients for the Toll-like receptor 4 Thr399Ile polymorphism, 100 patients for the Toll-like receptor 4 Asp299Gly polymorphism with acute biliary pancreatitis, and 101 healthy volunteers. At the same time, 93 patients and 92 healthy volunteers were included in the study to research the Toll-like receptor 2 intron 2 microsatellite polymorphism. Genotypes were determined using the restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products and by an allele-specific PCR. RESULTS: The Toll-like receptor 4 Thr399Ile homozygotes mutant variants (p=0.005) and Toll-like receptor 2 MM genotype (p<0.001) were detected with a significantly higher frequency in patients with acute biliary pancreatitis than in the healthy blood donors. CONCLUSION: The Toll-like receptor 4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile polymorphisms and the Toll-like receptor 2 intron 2 microsatellite polymorphism are statistically associated with ABP.