TLR4 and infectious disease: It has been reported that TLR4 polymorphisms are present in 10% of Caucasian populations and are reported to have a positive correlation with susceptibility to several infectious diseases (including gram-negative sepsis), atherosclerosis, asthma, malaria and also Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer (Mockernut et al., 2006; Hold et al., 2007).