Up-regulated expression of Toll-like receptors mRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 152; no. 3; pp. 482 - 487
• Main Authors: Komatsuda, A, Wakui, H, Iwamoto, K, Ozawa, M, Togashi, M, Masai, R, Maki, N, Hatakeyama, T, Sawada, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2008; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Antigens, Surface - biosynthesis; Antigens, Surface - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GPI-Linked Proteins; Humans; Interferon-alpha - biosynthesis; Interferon-alpha - genetics; interferon-α; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Proteins - biosynthesis; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Middle Aged; Molecular biophysics; mononuclear leukocytes; peripheral blood mononuclear cells; real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; systemic lupus erythematosus; Toll-like receptors; Toll-Like Receptors - biosynthesis; Toll-Like Receptors - genetics; Translational Studies; Up-Regulation - immunology; Human; peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Immunopathology; Connective tissue disease; Skin disease; interferon-α; Alpha interferon; real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; Autoimmune disease; Toll like receptor; Biochemistry; Biophysics; Blood cell; Regulation(control); Systemic lupus erythematosus; Mononuclear cell; Messenger RNA; Systemic disease; Toll- like receptors; Molecular biology; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; Real time polymerase chain reaction
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03646.x
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249

Recent studies in animal models for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have shown that Toll-like receptors (TLR-7 and TLR-9) and interferon (IFN)-α are involved in the pathogenesis of murine lupus. Recent studies using flow cytometry have also shown increased expression of TLR-9 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SLE patients. In this study, we performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses of PBMCs from 21 SLE patients and 21 healthy subjects, to estimate TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, IFN-α and LY6E (a type I IFN-inducible gene) mRNA expression levels. Expression levels of TLR2, TLR7, TLR9, IFN-α and LY6E mRNAs in SLE patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. Expression levels of TLR7 and TLR9 mRNAs correlated with that of IFN-α mRNA in SLE patients. These results suggest that up-regulated expression of TLR7 and TLR9 mRNAs together with increased expression of IFN-α mRNA in PBMCs may also contribute to the pathogenesis of human lupus.