Abstract:

Toll like receptors (TLRs) is a family of pattern recognizing receptors, which may lead to the release of inflammatory cytokines by inducing the cellular signal transduction system, and play an important role in recognizing pathogen and initiating inflammatory response. TLR4 is the major receptor recognizing gram-negative bacteria cell wall components including lipopolysaccharide, and the TLR4/CD14 signaling pathway is the most important way in inflammation reaction induced by lipopolysaccharide, which plays a key role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. The genetic polymorphism of TLR4 is associated with the individual susceptibility to sepsis, which provides important reference for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Key words: Toll like receptor 4, sepsis, lipopolysaccharide, signal transduction