title: High expression level of Toll-like receptor 2 on monocytes is an important risk factor for arteriosclerotic disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns to initiate an innate immune response. We previously reported upregulation of TLR2 expression level on monocytes of stable angina pectoris patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) relative to control patients without significant CAD. In this study we aimed to determine whether high level of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a risk factor for atherogenesis, independent of established risk factors including smoking, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), and hyperlipidemia (HL).
  
  
  METHODS
  TLR2 expression level on circulating monocyte surfaces was measured by using our developed flow cytometry assay. Patients were classified into two groups: "Arteriosclerotic disease" group (n=108) and "Control" group (n=70). Patients of the first group had arteriosclerotic disease such as CAD, aortic aneurysm, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The "Control" group was sex- and age-matched to the "Arteriosclerotic disease" group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLR2 expression was significantly higher in the "Arteriosclerotic disease" group than in the "Control" group (p<0.001). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed; other known risk factors, which were represented to two nominal score points, 0 or 1, for patients with and without it, respectively, and TLR2 level, which was treated as a metric variable. DM (p=0.002), HT (p=0.001), HL (p<0.001), and TLR2 level (p<0.001) were identified as significant contributors for arteriosclerotic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High TLR2 expression level on monocytes may be an independent risk factor for atherogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: So
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwahata
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orihara
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: Ryutaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Kinya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Sanemasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oketani
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ichiki
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iriki
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saihara
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okui
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Chuwa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D012306:Risk; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D002097:C-Reactive Protein