Toll-like receptor signaling pathways in cardiovascular diseases: challenges and opportunities.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a family of surface molecules, are involved in innate immune responses. Recent studies indicated that TLRs play a critical role in inflammatory responses to exogenous and endogenous triggers. This article focuses on probable effects of TLRs in the morbidity of cardiovascular events, e.g., ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury and atherosclerosis. TLR2 and TLR4 have been shown to have the most fundamental role in promoting cytokine production and subsequent inflammatory damages in these states. Blockade of these receptors may be beneficial in both preventing the occurrence and decreasing the complications in cardiovascular events. However, controversies exist on the certainty of this beneficial effect; therefore, additional studies are needed.
Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Faezeh
F
Moghimpour Bijani
Jesus G
JG
Vallejo
Nima
N
Rezaei
D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; C507779:MYD88 protein, human; D053594:Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88; C495342:TLR2 protein, human; C495345:TLR4 protein, human; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4