Functional linkage of cirrhosis‐predictive single nucleotide polymorphisms of toll‐like receptor 4 to hepatic stellate cell responses†‡

TLR4 D299G and T399I SNPs that are associated with protection from hepatic fibrosis reduce TLR4-mediated inflammatory and fibrogenic signaling and lower the apoptotic threshold of activated HSCs. These findings provide a mechanistic link that explains how specific TLR4 SNPs may regulate the risk of fibrosis progression.