title: The expression of Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) in testicular cancer: A case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been suggested that malfunction of immune system may causes testicular cancer. Recently, our understanding of innate immune system has been expanded, by discovery of "Toll-Like Receptors" (TLRs). Some studies have shown that polymorphisms of TLR2 and 4 may affect on the risk of cancer. Also, the role of TLRs 3 and 9 have been shown in apoptosis and metastasis of cancer cells in animal models.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Little information is available about the influence of innate immunity on testicular malignancy. Therefore, expression of TLRs 2, 3, 4 and 9 as main components of innate immunity has been investigated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case control study, TLRs gene expression was examined by RT-PCR in normal testis and testicular cancer tissues. Real time quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) analysis was used to compare the relative expression of TLRs between the samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  mRNAs of TLR 2, 3, 4 and 9 were expressed in all normal and cancer samples. Q-PCR reveals that cancer samples had stronger expression of these genes compared with normal ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that the different TLRs expression in testicular cancer cells may contribute to extensive signaling pathways involved in carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shapouri
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shaghayegh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashrafi Kakhki
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pouyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. ; Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amirchaghmaghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aflatoonian
keywords: Innate Immunity; NF-kappa B; Testicular Cancer; Toll- like Receptors (TLRs)