title: Overexpression of TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 mRNA and protein in samples from 87 esophageal cancer patients consisting of both tumor and normal tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 mRNA levels was detected in ESCC samples. Tumors exhibited high TLR protein expression, (70.1%, 72.4%, 66.7% and 78.2% for TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9, respectively, P < 0.05). Nevertheless, a significant percentage of tumors also exhibited TLR4 expression in mononuclear inflammatory cells (48.3%) and TLR9 expression in fibroblast-like cells (60.9%). Tumors with high TLR3 expression in tumor cells or high TLR4 expression in mononuclear inflammatory cells were significantly associated with a higher probability of lymph node metastasis and increased depth of invasion. However, tumors with high TLR9 expression in fibroblast-like cells were associated with low probabilities of invasion and metastasis. There was no significant variation between the expression of TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 among different ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLR3, TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9 expression appears important to the biological pathogenesis of ESCC. TLRs may represent therapeutic targets for ESCC.
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Medical University of Xinjiang, 830054 Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors: Ilyar
authors: I
authors: Sheyhidin
authors: Gulnaz
authors: G
authors: Nabi
authors: Ayshamgul
authors: A
authors: Hasim
authors: Rui-Ping
authors: RP
authors: Zhang
authors: Julaiti
authors: J
authors: Ainiwaer
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Ma
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495344:TLR3 protein, human; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; C495348:TLR7 protein, human; C495371:TLR9 protein, human; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9