Toll-like receptors (TLRs), particularly the TLR2, take part in the elicitation of immune responses against Entamoeba histolytica. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between a specific polymorphism called rs3804099 in the TLR2 gene and E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii infection among Lebanese children. A case-control study encompassed 180 participants including 68 children with amebiasis and 112 matched controls. Blood samples were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted using the classical proteinase K digestion and phenol-chloroform extraction method. The variant rs3804099 was examined using the Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction. The accuracy of the genotyping was supported by sequencing 5% of samples. The TLR2 rs3804099 polymorphism was identified in the studied population, and the observed genotypic distributions were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). The frequency of the rare CC genotype was significantly higher in patients compared to the noninfected group (P < 0.01). In controls, the homozygous TT genotype was less frequent than the heterozygous CT genotype. The rare CC genotype was associated with a higher risk of amebiasis among children (odds ratios = 3.27, P = 0.002). These findings provide evidence supporting the association between the rs3804099 SNP in the TLR2 gene and E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii infection among Lebanese children.
Keywords: Entamoeba histolytica; TLR2; amebiasis; polymorphism; rs3804099.