title: Co-regulation of Dectin-1 and TLR2 in inflammatory response of human corneal epithelial cells induced by Aspergillus fumigates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the co-regulation of dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin-1 (Dectin-1), Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and relative chemotactic factors in the Telomease-immortalized human corneal epithelial (THCE) cells after exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) hyphae.
  
  
  METHODS
  The normal THCE cells were investigated as control. After cultured in vitro with Af hyphae, with or without laminarin and anti-TLR2 antibody for 4, 8, 16 and 24h, THCE cells were harvested. The expression of Dectin-1, TLR2, CXCL1 and CXCL8 mRNA were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction at the stimulation of 4, 8 and 16h separately. The protein expression of Dectin-1 and TLR2 were analyzed at 8, 16, and 24h by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA expression of CXCL1 and CXCL8 increased in THCE cells after stimulated by Af hyphae. The stimulatory effects on these inflammatory chemokines were shown in a dose-dependent manner and reached the peak at 8h. Af hyphae significantly stimulated the production of Dectin-1 and TLR2 in THCE cells at both mRNA and protein levels. The protein of Dectin-1 and TLR2 gradually increased till 16h. While pretreated with laminarin (a Dectin-1 inhibitor), the expression of TLR2, CXCL1 and CXCL8 all decreased dramatically at the peak point. Interestingly, when pretreated with TLR2 neutralizing antibody, the expression of Dectin-1, CXCL1 and CXCL8 also decreased dramatically at the peak point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that Dectin-1 and TLR2 co-regulated with each other after treated with inactive Af hyphae in the THCE cells, and they contribute together to the inflammatory responses by induction of chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL8.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Gui-Qiu
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ting
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Corneal epithelial cell; Toll-like receptor 2; chemokines; dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin-1