Associations of TLR4 gene polymorphisms with the risk of age-related macular degeneration in a Chinese Han population

The study was designed to reveal the relationship of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4, rs1927914 and rs1927907) polymorphisms with risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as the adjustment of this association by some environmental and lifestyle factors in Chinese Han population.TLR4 polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphisms and direct sequencing method in 138 AMD patients and 146 healthy controls. Genotype distribution in the control group was checked with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Association of TLR4 polymorphisms and AMD risk was evaluated by χ test and adjusted by age and sex, smoking and drinking. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to represent the association strength. Logistic regressive analysis was used to calculate the adjusted OR values.CC genotype of rs1927914 had significantly lower frequency in AMD patients (P = .010), indicated a negative association with AMD risk (crude: OR = 0.358, 95% CI = 0.162-0.791; adjusted: OR = 0.355, 95% CI = 0.160-0.789). C allele of rs1927914 might decrease the susceptibility of AMD (crude: OR = 0.698, 95% CI = 0.497-0.982; adjusted: OR = 0.698, 95% CI = 0.495-0.984). No significant association has been discovered between TLR4 rs1927907 polymorphism and AMD susceptibility. Strong linkage disequilibrium existed between rs1927914 and rs1927907 polymorphisms. C-C haplotype was negatively associated with AMD risk (OR = 0.242, 95% CI = 0.121-0.485; OR = 0.242, 95% CI = 0.120-0.488).CC genotype and C allele of rs1927914 were significantly associated with the decreased AMD susceptibility.