Influence of polymorphisms on the phenotype of TLR1, TLR4 and TLR9 genes and their association with cervical cancer: Bioinformatics prediction analysis and a case-control study

Susceptibility to cervical cancer has been associated with Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which is an important component of innate immunity. According to previous studies, polymorphisms in TLRs genes can affect immune response pathways and lead to the development of cervical cancer. The present study aims to evaluate the functionality of polymorphisms in TLR1, TLR4 and TLR9 genes and their associations with cervical cancer. To identify the functionality of polymorphisms, we used the following tools: MUpro, ChimeraX, SNP2TFBS and GTEx. A case-control study including 57 cases (11 High-grade Intraepithelial Lesion - HSIL and 46 cervical cancer) and 67 clinically healthy controls was conducted in the Brazilian population. Polymorphisms genotyping was performed by real-time PCR, using TaqMan probes, using the allelic discrimination method. Bioinformatics prediction showed that the TLR1 rs4833095 [NM_003263.4 (TLR1):c.743T>C (p.Asn248Ser)] and TLR4 rs4986790 [NM_138554.5 (TLR4):c.896A>G (p.Asp299Gly)] polymorphisms alter the structure and stability of their respective proteins. TLR9 rs187084 [NM_017442.3(TLR9):c.-1486A>G] polymorphism seems to affect the THAP1 binding site and modify gene expression. In the case-control study, the c.743TC heterozygous genotype of the rs4833095 SNP in the TLR1 gene was associated with an increased risk for HSIL/cervical cancer. No association of TLR4 rs4986790 and TLR9 rs187084 SNPs with HSIL/cervical cancer was found in the studied population. Allelic combination CAG (rs4833095/ rs4986790/ rs187084) increased the risk of cervical cancer. In conclusion, the present study identified that polymorphisms in TLRs genes can affect the phenotype of their respective genes and contribute to the development of HSIL or cervical cancer.