Abstract
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.
Key Indexing Terms:Footnotes
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J.J. Pointon, DPhil, Research Assistant; K. Chapman, PhD, Botnar Research Fellow; D. Harvey, MSc, Graduate Student; B.P. Wordsworth, MB, FRCP, Professor of Rheumatology, University of Oxford Institute of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre; A-M Sims, DPhil, Research Assistant; L. Bradbury, MSc, Research Nurse, Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine; M. Kauppi, MD, PhD, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology and Senior Lecturer; K. Kaarela, MD, PhD, Chief Rheumatologist, Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola; K. Laiho, MD, PhD, Senior Rheumatologist, Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola and Department of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Medical School, University of Tampere; J. Tuomilehto, MD, PhD, Professor of Public Health, National Public Health Institute, University of Helsinki, and South Ostrobothnia Central Hospital; M.A. Brown, MD, FRACP, Professor of Immunogenetics, University of Oxford Institute of Musculoskeletal Medicine and Diamantina Institute.
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Funded by a program grant from the Arthritis Research Campaign (UK).
- Accepted for publication March 14, 2008.