Role of TLR4 and IL1A polymorphisms in Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis in a Romanian population

We aimed to assess an association of some genotypes with Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis susceptibility by studying functional relevant variants in the pathogen-recognition receptor Toll-like receptor 4 and variants in the promoter region of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1alpha in a sample of Romanian individuals. Forty-four Romanian patients with Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis and twenty-one healthy from periodontal point of view were genotyped for three single nucleotide polymorphisms of Tolllike receptor 4 (TLR4 Asp299Gly and TLR4 Thr399Ile) and interleukin-1alpha (IL1A(-889))using Real-Time PCR and saliva samples. There were no statistical differences in genotype distribution within the three variants, between the cases and controls group. We performed Fisher´s exact test and chi square test for assessing the genotype and allelic distribution. Our results reject the hypothesis that functionally polymorphisms of Toll-like receptor 4 and interleukin-1alpha genes have a major effect on Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis susceptibility, alone or in combination.