HCV core and NS3 proteins triggered inflammatory cell activation via the pattern recognition receptor TLR2 and failed to activate macrophages from TLR2 or MyD88-deficient mice.
TLR2 and TLR4 agonists are thought to have a significant role in diseases such as atherosclerosis and DIC, but our research suggests that this is through a mechanism other than direct platelet activation or by modification of platelet responses to other agonists.
TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression on monocytes was investigated by flow cytometry in the following groups of subjects: healthy controls, patients on HD, patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD).
TLR-2 may be essential in the pathogenesis and maintenance of AD and may be involved in the enhanced susceptibility to skin infections with S. aureus and in a higher inflammatory response in patients with AD carrying the TLR-2 polymorphism.
A positive correlation was also detected between TLR2 expression and TNF-alpha in HCV patients (r = 0.571; p < 0.05 in group I & r = 0.723; p < 0.01 in group II), while a weak relationship was found between TLR4 and TNF-alpha in cirrhotic patients.(r = 0.359; p > 0.05).
Additionally, we observed that subjects carrying the TLR2 Arg753Gln allele had higher risk of urinary tract infection with gram-positive pathogens, history of more than two attacks of UTI and asymptomatic UTI.
By PCR array analysis, specific stimulation of TLR2, TLR3, and TLR4 on melanoma cells showed significant activation of the adaptor protein MyD88, as well as downstream signal transduction factors nuclear factor-kappaB and inflammatory response-related factors.