Expression of pattern recognition receptors as a measure of general health

摘要

The present invention includes methods and kits that use expression of pattern recognition receptors as a measure of general health in subjects suffering from oral hygiene. In particular, the present invention relates to one or more pattern recognition receptors, such as, but not limited to, Toll-like receptors, myeloid differentiation, in companion animals suffering from oral hygiene conditions, such as dogs or cats. It relates to a method comprising measuring the expression level of primary response gene 88 (MyD88) and nucleotide binding oligomerization domain containing protein 1 (NOD1). The described method allows an assessment of the general health of animals suffering from oral hygiene by measuring the expression level of a designated gene relative to an appropriate control.