Toll-like Receptor 4 gene polymorphisms do not associate with normal tension glaucoma in a Korean population

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene polymorphisms with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in the South Korean population. METHODS: A total of 147 normal tension glaucoma patients in South Korea were recruited from April, 2007 to August, 2008. Allele, genotype, and haplotype of 8 different types of TLR4 single nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed: rs10759930, rs1927914, rs1927911, rs12377632, rs2149356, rs11536889, rs7037117, and rs7045953. Three hundred eighty healthy, unrelated South Korean adults were enrolled as controls. RESULTS: Frequencies of the TLR4 allele did not show any statistically significant difference between normal tension glaucoma patients and the control group (p>0.00625). The same results were observed in genotype frequency analysis. In addition, no statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of haplotypes in cases of normal tension glaucoma when compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: TLR4 single nucleotide polymorphisms are not associated with normal tension glaucoma. Findings from this study suggest that TLR4 polymorphisms may not play an important role in NTG pathogenesis in the South Korean population.