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Allergic rhinitis and genetic components: focus on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) gene polymorphism

Authors Gao Z, Rennie DC, Senthilselvan A 

Published 16 November 2010 Volume 2010:3 Pages 109—120

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/TACG.S8380

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Zhiwei Gao1, Donna C Rennie2, Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan1
1Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; 2College of Nursing and Canadian Centre for Health and Agricultural Safety, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract: Allergic rhinitis represents a global health issue affecting 10% to 25% of the population worldwide. Over the years, studies have found that allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis, are associated with immunological responses to antigens driven by a Th2-mediated immune response. Because Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in both innate and adaptive immune responses to a broad variety of antigens, the association between polymorphisms of TLRs and allergic diseases has been the focus in many animal and human studies. Although the etiology of allergic rhinitis is still unknown, extensive research over the years has confirmed that the underlying causes of allergic diseases are due to many genetic and environmental factors, along with the interactions among them, which include gene–environment, gene–gene, and environment–environment interactions. Currently, there is great inconsistency among studies mainly due to differences in genetic background and unique gene–environment interactions. This paper reviews studies focusing on the association between TLR polymorphisms and allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis, which would help researchers better understand the role of TLR polymorphisms in the development of allergic rhinitis, and ultimately lead to more efficient therapeutic interventions being developed.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis, allergic diseases, Toll-like receptors

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