Toll-like receptors 2, 3 and 4 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin expression in fatal asthma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Airway inflammation in asthma involves innate immune responses. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) are thought to be involved in airway inflammation, but their expression in asthmatics' both large and small airways has not been investigated.

Objective

To analyse the expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TSLP in large and small airways of asthmatics and compare their expression in smoking and non-smoking asthmatics; to investigate whether TLR expression is associated with eosinophilic or neutrophilic airway inflammation and with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection.

Methods

Using immunohistochemistry and image analysis, we investigated TLR2, TLR3, TLR4 and TSLP expression in large and small airways of 24 v

SUBMITTER: Ferreira DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3459227 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature