Does toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3) have any role in Indian AMD phenotype?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a devastating disease that results in irreversible central vision loss. TLRs signaling pathway has been found to play an important role in AMD pathogenesis as evidenced by several studies. The objective of the study was to determine the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) changes in TLR3 in North Indian AMD patients. We recruited 176 patients comprising 115 AMD patients and 61 controls. Real time PCR was used to evaluate the SNP changes at rs3775291 locus. Pearson’s χ 2 test was used evaluate association between various groups. No significant association in genotype and allele frequency was found in AMD patients as compared to control. The results suggest that AMD pathology in North Indian AMD patients is not affected by TLR3 signaling but it could be influenced by other genetic or environmental factors unique to North India.