title: Expression of toll-like receptor genes in leukocytes of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNNHL) is a disease entity that could be caused by multiple etiologies in which the innate immunity status of the patients might be involved. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes in peripheral blood leukocytes of SNNHL patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic research.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the expression of six TLR genes in the peripheral blood leukocytes of SNNHL patients and normal controls using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significantly higher expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 genes in SNNHL patients as compared with normal controls (P < 0.05). Higher expression of the TLR2 gene was found in patients with profound hearing loss compared with those with less severe hearing loss (P < 0.05). The result was validated by the positively stained leukocytes for TLR2 protein in SNNHL patients using the immunocytochemical study. In addition, the percentage of CD14(+) monocytes expressing TLR2 in SNNHL patients was higher than in normal controls assessed by flow cytometry and significantly correlated with the hearing thresholds of the affected ear (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study implies a role for TLRs in SNNHL. The expression of TLR2 in particular correlates with the severity of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
authors: Division of Otology, Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University College of Medicine.
authors: Chao-Hui
authors: CH
authors: Yang
authors: Division of Otology, Department of Otolaryngology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine.
authors: Chung-Feng
authors: CF
authors: Hwang
authors: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University College of Medicine.
authors: Ming-Yu
authors: MY
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Nursing, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Pai-Mei
authors: PM
authors: Lin
authors: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University College of Medicine.
authors: Jiin-Haur
authors: JH
authors: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors
keywords: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss; innate immunity; toll-like receptor