title: Higher Expression of Toll-like Receptors 3, 7, 8, and 9 in Pityriasis Rosea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a common papulosquamous skin disease in which an infective agent may be implicated. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in immune responses and in the pathophysiology of inflammatory skin diseases. Our aim was to determine the possible roles of TLRs 3, 7, 8, and 9 in the pathogenesis of PR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four PR patients and 24 healthy individuals (as controls) were included in this case control study. All recruits were subjected to routine laboratory investigations. Biopsies were obtained from one active PR lesion and from healthy skin of controls for the detection of TLR 3, 7, 8, and 9 gene expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study included 24 patients (8 females and 16 males) with active PR lesions, with a mean age of 28.62 years. Twenty four healthy age- and sex-matched individuals were included as controls (8 females and 16 males, with a mean age of 30.83 years). The results of the routine laboratory tests revealed no significant differences between both groups. Significantly elevated expression of all studied TLRs were detected in PR patients relative to healthy controls (p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLRs 3, 7, 8, and 9 might be involved in the pathogenesis of PR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mostafa Abou
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Ela
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Komy
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rania Abdel
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rehab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hegazy
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, National Research Center (NRC), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharobim
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rashed
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center (NRC), Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khalda
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amr
keywords: Immunity, innate; Pityriasis rosea; Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Toll-like receptors