Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists are widely used as adjuvants in specific immune therapy protocols for patients with atopic disposition. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mDCs) are thought to be important target cells for these compounds. To compare surface markers, TLR expression, TLR functionality after ligand stimulation, and genetic polymorphisms in the TLR 2-, 3-, and 4-genes in mDCs from atopic vs. non-atopic patients. mDCs from highly atopic individuals (total serum IgE > 1000 IU/mL) and healthy control persons (total serum IgE < 75 IU/mL) were screened for TLR 1-10 expression by real-time PCR. Receptor function was analysed by IL-12 and TNF-alpha production after incubation with the respective ligands peptidoglycan (PGN) (TLR 2), polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly IC) (TLR 3), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (TLR 4), flagellin (TLR 5), and CpG-DNA/non-CpG-DNA (TLR 9). Haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the TLR 2-, 3-, and 4- genes were analysed for genetic associations.