title: Increased expression of hepcidin and toll-like receptors 8 and 10 in viral keratitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and toll-like receptors (TLRs) form part of the "chemical barrier" of the ocular surface to microbes. Evidence suggests that pathogen recognition by TLR releases AMPs, altering AMP-TLR profiles in pathological states. This study investigated ocular surface expression of AMP-TLRs in health and disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Complementary DNA from conjunctival and corneal impression cytology samples was used for semiquantitative and quantitative polymerase chain reactions, to determine gene expression of 6 AMPs and TLRs-1-10, in healthy subjects and patients with bacterial (n = 6), viral (n = 6), Acanthamoeba (n = 3), or dry eye (n = 7) diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction showed variable AMP expression within groups and some expression patterns between groups, increased levels of LEAP (liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide)-1/hepcidin in viral disease, LEAP-2 in dry eye, and human beta defensin 3 in bacterial disease. There was no significant variability in TLR expression. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed significantly higher expression of LEAP-1 (P = 0.002) and TLR-8 (P = 0.023) and TLR-10 (P = 0.014) in viral keratitis and LEAP-2 (P = 0.034) in dry eye, versus controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased expression of LEAP-1 and TLRs 8 and 10 in viral keratitis is novel; TLR-10 has not previously had a documented ligand. LEAP-2 may have a role in dry eye. Further studies will help to improve the understanding of these diseases and yield novel therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Larry A Donoso Laboratory for Eye Research, Academic Division of Ophthalmology, ENT Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: Asiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abedin
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsintzas
authors.forename: Syed A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abedin
authors.forename: Ahmad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Otri
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: Manu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.forename: Harminder S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Dua
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000235:genetics; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000235:genetics; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051201:Toll-Like Receptor 10 / Q000235:genetics*; D051200:Toll-Like Receptor 8 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; C475955:TLR10 protein, human; C495349:TLR8 protein, human; D051201:Toll-Like Receptor 10; D051200:Toll-Like Receptor 8; C475606:liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2, human; D012313:RNA