title: Menstrual cycle-dependent changes of Toll-like receptors in endometrium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid innate immune defences against infection usually involve the recognition of invading pathogens by specific pattern recognition receptors recently attributed to the family of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Reports from our laboratory and others have demonstrated the existence of TLRs 1-6 in the female reproductive tract. However, little has been done to identify TLRs 7-10 in the female reproductive tract, particularly in the uterus. Also little information exists regarding variation in TLRs in the female reproductive tract during the menstrual cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The distribution of TLR7-10 protein was detected by immunostaining in timed endometrial biopsies from normal women. RT-PCR was used to show the existence of TLR1-10 genes in endometrial tissue and real-time PCR analysis to investigate the relative expression of these genes during the menstrual cycle in normal human endometrium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLR7-10 proteins were detected in endometrial epithelium and stroma. TLR1-10 genes were expressed in human endometrial tissue, and the mean relative expression of TLR2-6, 9 and 10 genes was significantly higher during the secretory phase compared with other phases of the menstrual cycle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLR7-10 localization is not limited to endometrial epithelium but is also present in the stroma of the endometrial tissue. Endometrial TLR2-6, 9 and 10 genes are cyclically expressed during the menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aflatoonian
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tuckerman
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aflatoonian
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fazeli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051201:Toll-Like Receptor 10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051200:Toll-Like Receptor 8 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C475955:TLR10 protein, human; C495348:TLR7 protein, human; C495349:TLR8 protein, human; C495371:TLR9 protein, human; D051201:Toll-Like Receptor 10; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7; D051200:Toll-Like Receptor 8; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors