Objective: To investigate the relationship between the gene polymorphism of TLR3c.1377,TLR9-1486,and TLR9 2848 and susceptibility to multiple sclerosis(MS)in Han people of south China.

Methods: A total of 123 unrelated MS patients from South China with a clinical or laboratory definition MS according to 2005 Revisions to the McDonald Criteria were studied. Another 126 controls were randomly selected from hospital staff of non-autoimmune diseases and healthy individuals. Toll like receptor (TLR) 3 and TLR 9 genotypes were determined by PCR and digested by specific restriction enzymes.

Results: There was significant difference in genotype and allele distribution of TLR3c.1377 polymorphism between the MS patients and the controls (P<0.05), and the MS patients with T allele had a lower risk (OR=0.532, P=0.014). There was no significant difference in genotypes and allele distribution of TLR9-1486 polymorphism between the MS patients and the controls. There was higher TLR9 2848 A allele frequency in the MS patients than in the controls (39.8% vs. 30.6%;P=0.037), and higher risk in MS patients with A allele than those without (OR=1.837, P=0.020). There was no significant interaction among the TLR3c.1377, TLR9-1486 and TLR9 2848 allele. Strong linkage disequilibrium was found between TLR9-1486 and TLR9 2848, but there was no significant interaction between the polymorphism of TLR9-1486 and TLR9 2848 in the MS patients.

Conclusions: TLR3c.1377 and TLR9 2848 polymorphisms may be related to MS in Han people in south China. TLR3c.1377 and TLR9 2848 may be linked with susceptibility genes.