title: Toll-like receptor 3 gene expression in Egyptian patients with glomerulonephritis and hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with both chronic liver disorders and several extrahepatic manifestations including renal disease. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), a component of the innate immune system, is a pathogen recognition receptor that recognizes viral double-stranded RNA.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This work investigated TLR3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HCV-positive patients with glomerulonephritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty patients with glomerulonephritis were initially enrolled in the study. After exclusion of 52 patients with secondary glomerulonephritis, 78 patients were screened for HCV infection. TLR3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was studied in 46 patients with HCV-positive glomerulonephritis and 32 patients with HCV-negative glomerulonephritis using a real-time PCR comparative quantitation approach and results were compared to a control group of 20 healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLR3 expression was significantly higher in patients with HCV-positive glomerulonephritis than in HCV negative patients and controls (p < 0.0001). TLR3 expression correlated positively with HCV viral load, interleukin-1β, serum creatinine and inversely with creatinine clearance in patients with HCV-positive glomerulonephritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work shows that TLR3 expression is upregulated in HCV-positive patients with glomerulonephritis. Overexpression is associated with reduced renal function and increased interleukin 1β level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Azarita, Alexandria, Egypt. aabouzeid4@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Abla A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abou-Zeid
authors.forename: Hesham K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: El-Sayegh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C495344:TLR3 protein, human; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3