title: Analysis of Expression and Localization of TLR-2 by Immunofluorescent Technique in Healthy and Inflammed Oral Tissues.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are an important component of immune system. Among them, TLR-2 plays a dominant role in the oral tissues in initiating inflammation in chronic periodontitis. Not many studies have been done on quantitative expression of TLR-2 by using immunofluorescent techniques (IFT) in oral tissues. In this study, the expression and localisation of TLR-2 were detected in gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis patients and healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immuno Fluorescent Technique (IFT) was used for the expression and localization of TLR-2 in gingival tissue samples from 25 chronic periodontitis patients and from 25 healthy controls. Haematoxylin and Eosin staining was also done for all the samples to determine the histological characteristics of the gingival tissue samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both healthy and periodontitis gingival tissues expressed TLR-2. We found that the expression level of TLR-2 was higher in all the periodontitis patients than in healthy individuals. We also found out that the expression of TLR-2 was higher in the epithelial cells than in the connective tissue cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest a definite involvement of TLR-2 in initiating an inflammatory response in periodontal tissues. More studies are required to define the mechanisms and expression levels of TLR-2 in oral health and diseases.
authors.affiliation: Research Officer, Department of Microbiology, Maratha Mandal's N.G.H. Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Romaldin S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.affiliation: Professor and H.O.D., Department of Microbiology, Maratha Mandal's N.G.H. Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Kishore G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.affiliation: Professor and H.O.D., Department of Biotechnology, Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology , Hyderabad, India .
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sailaja
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Pathology, Maratha Mandal's N.G.H. Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Deepa V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Babji
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Maratha Mandal's N.G.H. Institute of Dental Sciences and Research Centre , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Tushar K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Bandiwadekar
authors.affiliation: BDS, Private Practitioner, Vrisan Dental Care , Belgaum, India .
authors.forename: Ramanand M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Katgalkar
keywords: Epithelial cells; Gingival fibroblasts; Immunofluroscence techniques; Periodontitis; TLR-2