A strong relationship between genetic polymorphisms in toll-like receptors (TLR2 and TLR4) on platelets and thrombocytopenia and coagulation failure in patients with sepsis has been established. A recent study by a team of researchers from the Department of Emergency, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai, China, has found that specific toll-like receptors (TLRs) on platelets are significantly associated with thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in Chinese sepsis patients. The researchers noted in a paper, published in Journal of Inflammation Research, that in sepsis patients, the rs111200466 SNP in TLR2 and rs11536889 SNP in TLR4  were specifically related to the medical conditions and that these could also have potential effects on the TLR4 pathways of platelets. They also added that both DIC and platelet counts were associated with cytokines and chemokines, especially the IL10.