Toll-like receptors 3, 7, and 9 in Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.
Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare, benign tumor affecting adolescent males. The etiology of JNA as well as the causes determining the variable growth patterns of individual tumors remains unknown. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are part of the innate immune response to microbes; by recognition of distinct features, they link to induction of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways. We immunostained TLR 3, 7, and 9 in 27 JNA specimens of patients treated at the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland, during the years 1970-2009.


RESULTS
TLR 3, 7, and 9 expressions were found in stromal and endothelial cells of JNA, and their expression levels varied from negative to very strong positive. TLR 3 expression was found to have a significant correlation with the clinical stage of JNA.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results propose a putative role of TLRs in the growth process of JNA.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Suvi
S
Renkonen
Lars-Olaf
LO
Cardell
Petri
P
Mattila
Marie
M
Lundberg
Caj
C
Haglund
Jaana
J
Hagström
Antti A
AA
Mäkitie
D000293:Adolescent; D018322:Angiofibroma / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9 / Q000378:metabolism*
C495344:TLR3 protein, human; C495348:TLR7 protein, human; C495371:TLR9 protein, human; D051196:Toll-Like Receptor 3; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7; D051217:Toll-Like Receptor 9
Neoplasm; head and neck; immunohistochemistry; immunology; juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma; toll-like receptors; tumor