title: Expression of toll-like receptors 2, 3, 4, and 9 genes in the human endometrium during the menstrual cycle.
abstract: Innate immunity in the endometrium has fundamental significance for reproduction. Although toll-like receptors (TLRs) play central roles in innate immune responses, their expression in the human endometrium remains to be fully elucidated. We have examined the gene expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9 in endometrial tissues by real-time quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization. The expression levels of the four genes in endometrial tissues varied in a similar pattern during the menstrual cycle; the levels were high in the perimenstrual period and low in the periovulatory period. Expression of the four genes was detected in both epithelial cells and stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle. Expression levels were higher in epithelial cells for TLR3 and in stromal cells for TLR4, while they were comparable in epithelial cells and stromal cells for TLR2 and TLR9. These findings imply that differential spatio-temporal expression patterns of TLRs subserve proper innate immunity of the endometrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osuga
authors.forename: Kahori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Emi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taketani
mesh_terms: D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol