Up-regulated expression of Toll-like receptors mRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Recent studies in animal models for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have shown that Toll-like receptors (TLR-7 and TLR-9) and interferon (IFN)-alpha are involved in the pathogenesis of murine lupus. Recent studies using flow cytometry have also shown increased expression of TLR-9 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE patients. In this study, we performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses of PBMCs from 21 SLE patients and 21 healthy subjects, to estimate TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, IFN-alpha and LY6E (a type I IFN-inducible gene) mRNA expression levels. Expression levels of TLR2, TLR7, TLR9, IFN-alpha and LY6E mRNAs in SLE patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. Expression levels of TLR7 and TLR9 mRNAs correlated with that of IFN-alpha mRNA in SLE patients. These results suggest that up-regulated expression of TLR7 and TLR9 mRNAs together with increased expression of IFN-alpha mRNA in PBMCs may also contribute to the pathogenesis of human lupus.
Komatsuda
A
A
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan. komatsud@med.akita-u.ac.jp
Wakui
H
H
Iwamoto
K
K
Ozawa
M
M
Togashi
M
M
Masai
R
R
Maki
N
N
Hatakeyama
T
T
Sawada
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D016898:Interferon-alpha; C439870:LY6E protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors