{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,12]],"date-time":"2025-09-12T18:10:12Z","timestamp":1757700612480,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,23]],"date-time":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1698019200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Reprod. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are hazardous to human health worldwide. STIs have a direct influence on sexual and reproductive health and can increase the chances of HIV. Globally, more than 1 million STIs are acquired every day and the majority are asymptomatic. Approximately, 374 million cases of STIs have been reported annually. The most prevalent STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. These STIs are caused by <jats:italic>Chlamydia trachomatis<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Treponema pallidum<\/jats:italic> and Trichomonas vaginalis. The major factor that contributes to the susceptibility and prognosis of infectious diseases is genetic variation. Host genes play a huge role in STIs and immune response. The production of host factors is stimulated by a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites and the host factors can play a role in increasing host vulnerability to infection and pathogen persistence. Genetic variation or polymorphisms within certain host genes can influence the course of pathogen infection and disease progression. Polymorphisms can contribute to changes in gene expression and or changes in the protein structure. which may either contribute to\/or protect against infection. This review discusses the role of host genes in influencing the susceptibility of the most prevalent STIs caused by <jats:italic>Chlamydia trachomatis<\/jats:italic>, Trichomonas vaginalis, <jats:italic>Treponema pallidum<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic>. We evaluate polymorphisms associated pathogen recognition signalling pathway of these diseases. These polymorphisms may be used as biomarkers to infer risk to specific STIs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/frph.2023.1124074","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,23]],"date-time":"2023-10-23T21:08:37Z","timestamp":1698095317000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["The association of host genes with specific sexually transmitted infections"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Qhama","family":"Bovungana","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thilona","family":"Arumugam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Veron","family":"Ramsuran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.18597\/RCOG.3071","article-title":"World health organization global health sector strategy on sexually transmitted infections: an evidence-toaction summary for Colombia","volume":"68","author":"Taylor","year":"2017","journal-title":"Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol"},{"year":"2022","key":"B2"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.19.237149","article-title":"Herpes simplex virus: global infection prevalence and incidence estimates, 2016","volume":"98","author":"James","year":"2020","journal-title":"Bull W H O"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1011.040622_02","article-title":"Long-term clinical sequelae of sexually transmitted infections in women","volume":"10","author":"Deal","year":"2004","journal-title":"Emerg Infect Dis"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e25346","DOI":"10.1002\/JIA2.25346","article-title":"Mechanisms of sexually transmitted infection-induced inflammation in women: implications for HIV risk","volume":"22","author":"Mwatelah","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Int AIDS Soc"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2014.00461","article-title":"Toll-like receptor signaling pathways","volume":"5","author":"Kawasaki","year":"2014","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e12954","DOI":"10.1111\/sji.12954","article-title":"Insights into the toll-like receptors in sexually transmitted infections","volume":"93","author":"Yadav","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scand J Immunol"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1080\/13547500701843338","article-title":"ICAM-1 expression in vaginal cells as a potential biomarker for inflammatory response","volume":"13","author":"Youn","year":"2008","journal-title":"Biomarkers"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1129","DOI":"10.2217\/FMB.13.80","article-title":"Genetic variation in Chlamydia trachomatis and their hosts: impact on disease severity and tissue tropism","volume":"8","author":"Abdelsamed","year":"2013","journal-title":"Future Microbiol"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jir822","article-title":"Variants in toll-like receptor 1 and 4 genes are associated with chlamydia trachomatis among women with pelvic inflammatory disease","volume":"205","author":"Taylor","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/femspd\/ftv107","article-title":"TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 genotypes and haplotypes in the susceptibility to and clinical course of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Dutch women","volume":"74","author":"Verweij","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pathog Dis"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/femspd\/ftu028","article-title":"NOD1 in contrast to NOD2 functional polymorphism influence Chlamydia trachomatis infection and the risk of tubal factor infertility","volume":"73","author":"Brankov\u00ed","year":"2015","journal-title":"FEMS Pathog Dis"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10010048","article-title":"Can previous associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the tlr2, nod1, cxcr5, and il10 genes in the susceptibility to and severity of chlamydia trachomatis infections be confirmed?","volume":"10","author":"Jukema","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pathogens"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"940","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jis922","article-title":"Racial variation in toll-like receptor variants among women with pelvic inflammatory disease","volume":"207","author":"Taylor","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10151","DOI":"10.1002\/jcb.27352","article-title":"Evaluation of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-23R, VDR, CCL2, CCL5, CCR2, and CCR5 gene polymorphisms and expression in Chinese individuals with syphilis","volume":"119","author":"Hu","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Cell Biochem"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e00503","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.00503-20\/SUPPL_FILE\/IAI.00503-20-S0001.PDF","article-title":"The Arg753Gln polymorphism of toll-like receptor 2 has a lower occurrence in patients with syphilis, suggesting its protective effect in Czech and Slovak individuals","volume":"89","author":"Grillov\u00e1","year":"2021","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0220330","article-title":"Association of TLR4 and TLR9 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with cervicitis susceptibility","volume":"14","author":"Chauhan","year":"2019","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"B18","first-page":"84","article-title":"Association of toll-like receptor 4 gene oolymorphism with Trichomonas vaginalis infection in Iraqi women","volume":"11","author":"Chaloob","year":"2014","journal-title":"Med J Babylon"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-020-05307-w","article-title":"Prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the general population: a meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Huai","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1097\/01.OLQ.0000240344.20665.63","article-title":"Pelvic examination findings and Chlamydia trachomatis infection in asymptomatic young women screened with a nucleic acid amplification test","volume":"34","author":"Geisler","year":"2007","journal-title":"Sex Transm Dis"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100071","DOI":"10.1016\/j.xhgg.2021.100071","article-title":"Human genetic diversity regulating the TLR10\/TLR1\/TLR6 locus confers increased cytokines in response to Chlamydia trachomatis","volume":"3","author":"Barnes","year":"2022","journal-title":"Hum Genet Genomics Adv"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"410","DOI":"10.3390\/genes10060410","article-title":"The potential role for host genetic profiling in screening for chlamydia-associated tubal factor infertility (TFI)\u2014new perspectives","volume":"10","author":"Malogajski","year":"2019","journal-title":"Genes (Basel)"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"987","DOI":"10.1038\/ni1112","article-title":"Toll-like receptor control of the adaptive immune responses","volume":"5","author":"Iwasaki","year":"2004","journal-title":"Nat Immunol"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2021","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/1157023","article-title":"Toll-like receptors (TLRs): structure, functions, signaling, and role of their polymorphisms in colorectal cancer susceptibility","author":"Syed Sameer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Biomed Res Int"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1513","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.71.3.1513-1519.2003","article-title":"Role of toll-like receptor signaling in the apoptotic response of macrophages to Yersinia infection","volume":"71","author":"Zhang","year":"2003","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"B26","first-page":"67","article-title":"TLR2 haplotypes in the susceptibility to and severity of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Dutch women","volume":"45","author":"Karimi","year":"2009","journal-title":"Drugs Today"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/sji.12954","article-title":"Insights into the toll-like receptors in sexually transmitted infections","volume":"93","author":"Yadav","year":"2021","journal-title":"Scand J Immunol"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6187","DOI":"10.4049\/jimmunol.171.11.6187","article-title":"Toll-like receptor-2, but not toll-like receptor-4, is essential for development of oviduct pathology in chlamydial genital tract infection","volume":"171","author":"Darville","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Immunol"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1097\/MOH.0000000000000394","article-title":"Pathogenesis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the female reproductive tract: neutrophilic host response, sustained infection, and clinical sequelae","volume":"25","author":"Stevens","year":"2018","journal-title":"Curr Opin Hematol"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1186\/s42269-019-0227-2","article-title":"Toll-like receptors activation, signaling, and targeting: an overview","volume":"43","author":"El-Zayat","year":"2019","journal-title":"Bull Natl Res Cent"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"328","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2012.00328","article-title":"NOD1 and NOD2 signaling in infection and inflammation","volume":"3","author":"Moreira","year":"2012","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1047","DOI":"10.1111\/J.1462-5822.2006.00686.X","article-title":"Stimulation of the cytosolic receptor for peptidoglycan, Nod1, by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis or Chlamydia muridarum","volume":"8","author":"Welter-Stahl","year":"2006","journal-title":"Cell Microbiol"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1615\/critrevimmunol.v32.i1.30","article-title":"Role of interleukin 10 transcriptional regulation in inflammation and autoimmune disease","volume":"32","author":"Iyer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Crit Rev Immunol"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.17226\/25955","article-title":"Sexually transmitted infections","author":"Vermund","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1149","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.67.3.1149-1156.1999","article-title":"Invasion of human mucosal epithelial cells by Neisseria gonorrhoeae upregulates expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)\u2020.","volume":"67","author":"Jarvis","year":"1999","journal-title":"Infect Immun"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"226","DOI":"10.1080\/01443615.2017.1343810","article-title":"High glucose-mediated overexpression of ICAM-1 in human vaginal epithelial cells increases adhesion of Candida albicans","volume":"38","author":"Mikamo","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Obstet Gynaecol"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"656","DOI":"10.1097\/OLQ.0b013e31816b6593","article-title":"Immunogenetic correlates of neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in adolescents","volume":"35","author":"Geisler","year":"2008","journal-title":"Sex Transm Dis"},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0010021","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.00100-21","article-title":"The laboratory diagnosis of syphilis","volume":"59","author":"Satyaputra","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"440","DOI":"10.1097\/OLQ.0000000000000149","article-title":"Toll-like receptor polymorphisms are associated with increased neurosyphilis risk","volume":"41","author":"Marra","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sex Transm Dis"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-59745-458-2_14","article-title":"Single nucleotide polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility","volume":"8","author":"Hubner","year":"2016","journal-title":"Mol Basis Hum Cancer"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1016\/J.HUMIMM.2015.06.010","article-title":"Association of interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms with neurosyphilis","volume":"76","author":"Pastuszczak","year":"2015","journal-title":"Hum Immunol"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1007\/s10552-012-0103-y","article-title":"Prospective study of effect modification by toll-like receptor 4 variation on the association between trichomonas vaginalis serostatus and prostate cancer","volume":"24","author":"Chen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Cancer Causes Control"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Reproductive Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frph.2023.1124074\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,23]],"date-time":"2023-10-23T21:08:42Z","timestamp":1698095322000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/frph.2023.1124074\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,23]]},"references-count":42,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/frph.2023.1124074"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/frph.2023.1124074","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-3153"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2673-3153"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,23]]},"article-number":"1124074"}}