The primary cause of periodontitis is plaque-associated anaerobic gram-negative bacteria. As shown in the patients with defects in the number or function of neutrophils, innate immunity plays an important role in resistance to bacterial infection and periodontitis. Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) is one of the key receptors that recognize the molecular patterns of microbes and initiate innate immune response. To understand the role of TLR4 in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, we investigated whether Asp299Gly of TLR4 mutation is associated with periodontitis in Korean population. Subjects for this study included 90 healthy subjects and 98 periodontitis patients. The Asp299Gly mutation was screened by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism(RFLP) of genomic DNA from blood cells using a primer that creates a NcoI restriction site only in the mutant allele. The Asp299Gly mutation was not found in all subjects tested. Our results suggest that the Asp299Gly mutation of TLR4 is very rare in a Korean population. Further mutation screening may be required to determine the role of TLR4 in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.

• Kack-Kyun Kim(Department of Oral Microbiology/Immunology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry) Corresponding author
• Ok-Jin Park(Department of Oral Microbiology/Immunology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry)
• Seung-Yun Shin(Department of Periodontology, Seoul National University School of Dentistry)
• Chong-Pyoung Chung(Department of Periodontology, Seoul National University School of Dentistry)
• Young Ku(Department of Periodontology, Seoul National University School of Dentistry)
• Youngnim Choi(Department of Oral Microbiology/Immunology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry)