title: Expression profiles of Toll-like receptors in non-small cell lung cancer             and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a higher incidence             of lung cancer. The role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a key component of the             innate immunity, in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) and lung cancer pathogenesis             is not clarified. TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, TLR8 and TLR9 mRNA expression was quantitatively             measured by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)             in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 16 IPF patients, 16 non-small cell lung             cancer (NSCLC) patients and 9 control subjects. TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TLR9 protein             expression was assessed on BALF T-lymphocytes using flow cytometry. TLR3 mRNA             expression was significantly higher in NSCLC compared to IPF (p=0.023) and controls             (p=0.001). TLR7 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in both NSCLC             and IPF groups compared to controls (p=0.029, p=0.009). TLR9 expression at the             mRNA level was significantly higher in both NSCLC and IPF groups compared to controls             (p=0.01, p=0.001). Finally, TLR2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in IPF             patients compared to controls (p=0.042). Flow cytometry revealed decreased TLR3             and TLR9 expression in IPF patients compared to the NSCLC group (p=0.02, p=0.014)             and decreased TLR9 expression in IPF compared with the controls (p=0.04). TLR2             protein expression was significantly higher in IPF patients compared to NSCLC             (p=0.04). Increased expression of endosomal TLRs in NSCLC patients and elevated             expression of TLR2 in pulmonary fibrosis are the main results of this study. These             results do not provide support for a common TLR pathway hypothesis between NSCLC             and IPF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. kat_samara@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Katerina D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Samara
authors.forename: Katerina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karagiannis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Margaritopoulos
authors.forename: Ismini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lasithiotaki
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koutala
authors.forename: Nikolaos M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Siafakas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors