title: Acanthamoeba infection in lungs of mice expressed by toll-like receptors (TLR2 and TLR4).
abstract: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in the innate immune responses to a variety of pathogens including parasites. TLRs are among the most highly conserved in the evolution of the receptor family, localized mainly on cells of the immune system and on other cells such as lung cells. The aim of this study was to determine for the first time the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in the lung of Acanthamoeba spp. infected mice using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The Acanthamoeba spp. were isolated from a patient with Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) (strain Ac 55) and from environmental samples of water from Malta Lake (Poznań, Poland - strain Ac 43). We observed a significantly increased level of expression of TLR2 as well as TLR4 mRNA from 2 to 30 days post Acanthamoeba infection (dpi) in the lungs of mice infected with Ac55 (KP120880) and Ac43 (KP120879) strains. According to our observations, increased TLR2 and TLR4 expression in the pneumocytes, interstitial cells and epithelial cells of the bronchial tree may suggest an important role of these receptors in protective immunity against Acanthamoeba infection in the lung. Moreover, increased levels of TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA expression in infected Acanthamoeba mice may suggest the involvement of these TLRs in the recognition of this amoeba pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznan, Poland. Electronic address: mderda@ump.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojtkowiak-Giera
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstancow Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolasa-Wołosiuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstancow Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kosik-Bogacka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hadaś
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Swiecickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Jagodziński
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wandurska-Nowak
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000502:physiology*; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D008174:Lung Diseases, Parasitic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4
keywords: Acanthamoeba spp.; Lungs; Mouse; Q-PCR; TLR2; TLR4 (toll-like receptors)