title: Toll-like receptors in liver ischemia reperfusion injury: a novel target for therapeutic modulation?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing evidence that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) sense host tissue damage by engaging with endogenous ligands. TLRs are considered to be involved in many primarily non-immune-related diseases. Hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) represents one of these disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present the latest findings supporting the involvement of TLRs in liver IRI and to explore their role as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the literature summarizing the latest advances in TLR signaling, the role of TLRs in each hepatic cell population and the involvement of TLRs in the pathophysiology of hepatic IRI. The potential role of TLR-targeting treatment strategies in liver IRI is discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent experimental evidence suggests that TLR activation on Kupffer cells provides the triggering signal for pro-inflammatory responses that lead to liver IRI. Modulating TLR signaling could have a beneficial effect in patients with liver IRI.
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsargyris
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klonaris
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexandrou
authors.forename: Alexander E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Giakoustidis
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vasileiou
authors.forename: Stamatios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Theocharis