The presence of functionally relevant toll-like receptor polymorphisms does not significantly correlate with development or outcome of sepsis

Members of the toll-like receptor (TLR) family have been shown to play important roles in inflammatory responses. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) altering receptor activity may either have detectable effects or might be without results due to compensatory mechanisms. We determined the genotype frequencies of functionally relevant SNPs in TLR2, 4 and 5 in critically ill patients (n=150) from a multidisciplinary surgical intensive care unit (ICU). The inflammatory response (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, white blood count) and clinical classification (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Score II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment) were monitored daily. The genetic polymorphisms correlate with neither development nor outcome of sepsis. No correlations were found between C-reactive protein or WBC and the investigated SNPs. In patients in the ICU with abdominal surgery and multiple trauma, the TLR2-R753Q SNP was associated with infection at ICU admission (p