Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is widespread, affecting about 50% of the global population. Polymorphisms in host genes such as the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) might affect the susceptibility and severity of infection and treatment success.
Objective: Investigate the susceptibility and severity of H pylori infection with host TLR4 (rs11536889, rs4986790, rs200109652, rs10759932), TLR5 (rs5744174, rs2072493, rs746250566), TLR10 (rs559182335, rs10004195) polymorphisms.
Design: Analytical, cross-sectional.
Setting: Endoscopy clinic at tertiary care center.
Patients and methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues collected from H pylori-infected patients and healthy individuals. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the targeted TLR genes were genotyped to assess the genetic association of various SNPs with disease severity.
Main outcome measures: Effect of genotype distribution on H pylori infection.
Sample size: 250 peptic ulcer patients and 217 controls.
Results: The TLR10 genotype showed no significant association with H pylori infection except for rs10004195 (T>A) (P=.002). The genotype frequency of Rs5744174 in TLR5 had a significant association with the presence of H pylori infection (P=.046, OR=0.52). Except for gender (P=.022), there were no significant associations between clinical and demographic variables and SNPs relating to the severity of the H pylori infections.
Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with differences in severity of H pylori infection due to TLR SNPs in different ethnic groups. Understanding differences in genetic susceptibility could help in classifying patients and matching patients with various treatment options on a genetic basis.
Limitations: Lack of H pylori pathogenicity features assessment.
Conflicts of interest: None.