TLR4 Asp299Gly SNP (rs4986790) Protects from Periodontal Inflammatory Destruction by Altering TLR4 Susceptibility to LPS Stimulation

Periodontitis is a multifactorial disease linked to host immune response and genetic predisposition. The TLR4 Asp299Gly single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, rs4986790) has been associated with altered responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and may influence susceptibility to inflammatory diseases. Given the central role of TLR4 in innate immune recognition of periodontal pathogens, this study investigates the role of rs4986790 in modulating susceptibility to periodontal inflammatory destruction. A total of 1410 individuals from four populations were genotyped, with findings indicating a significant protective effect of the polymorphic allele. Functional assays demonstrated enhanced IL-8 secretion and increased sensitivity to CD14 inhibition in cells expressing the variant receptor. These results suggest that rs4986790 modifies the LPS response via TLR4, potentially offering protection against periodontal breakdown.