Toll-like receptor 4 and CD14 polymorphisms in ankylosing spondylitis: evidence of a weak association in Finns.
Pointon JJ., Chapman K., Harvey D., Sims A-M., Bradbury L., Laiho K., Kauppi M., Kaarela K., Tuomilehto J., Brown MA., Wordsworth BP.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of CD14 and Toll-like receptor (TLR4) with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: A promoter variant in CD14 and 2 coding polymorphisms in TLR4 were investigated in UK and Finnish families with AS and in a UK case-control study. A metaanalysis of published TLR4 and CD14 studies was performed. RESULTS: In the Finnish study the CD14-260bp T variant showed an association (p = 0.006), and the common 2-marker TLR4 haplotype showed a weak association (global p = 0.03), with AS. No associations were seen in the UK based studies or in the metaanalyses. CONCLUSION: CD14 and TLR4 showed an association with AS in the Finns only.