Monocytic cells exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, through unknown receptors, overexpress the urokinase receptor (uPAR), a key mediator of the plasminogen activation system. We show that combined blockade of CD14 and TLR2 causes a significant inhibition of B. burgdorferi-induced uPAR in Mono Mac 6 (MM6) cells. Other pattern recognition receptors tested (CD11b/CD18, the mannose receptor, and the N...

In response to pathogen recognition by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on their cell surface, macrophages release lipid mediators and cytokines that are widely distributed throughout the body and play essential roles in host responses. Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is important for the immune response during infections to improve the clearance of microorganisms. In this s...

The innate immune response to Pneumocystis infection is not well understood. In this study, normal C57BL/6 mouse alveolar macrophages were found to respond to Pneumocystis murina organisms through Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), leading to the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB and the production of proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and chemokine macrophage inflammat...

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 has been identified as the primary receptor for enteric LPS, whereas TLR2 has been implicated as the receptor for Gram-positive and fungal cell wall components and for bacterial, mycobacterial, and spirochetal lipoproteins. Vascular endothelial cell (EC) activation or injury by microbial cell wall components such as LPS is of critical importance in the development of ...

To the Editor: We read with interest both the recent paper by Dunzendorfer et al1 and the accompanying commentary.2 We wish to clarify some key points. Dunzendorfer et al report that under antiatherogenic conditions of laminar flow, human coronary artery endothelial cells (ECs) express low levels of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA and protein. Dunzendorfer et al also reported that TLR2 mRNA an...

BACKGROUND It is not yet known which types of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are most effective in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) recognition. It is also not known which gastric zones have the most prominent roles in TLR-mediated bacterial recognition. The aim of this work was to analyze the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in biopsy specimens from H. pylori-infected patients. METHODS Thirty-eight pa...

OBJECTIVE Hyperglycemia-induced inflammation is central in diabetes complications, and monocytes are important in orchestrating these effects. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in innate immune responses and inflammation. However, there is a paucity of data examining the expression and activity of TLRs in hyperglycemic conditions. Thus, in the present study, we examined TLR2 and TLR4 m...

We have previously reported that NF-kappa B and stimulating factor 1 elements within the proximal mouse Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) promoter region are required for the transcriptional activation of TLR2 expression following infection with Mycobacterium avium. In the present study, we found that a rapid increase in both DNase I sensitivity and restriction enzyme accessibility at the TLR2 promot...

We investigated the role of the TLR2 receptor in the recognition of ligands from Gram-positive bacteria in fish. Comparative sequence analysis showed a highly conserved Toll/IL-1 receptor domain. Although the leucine-rich repeat domain was less conserved, the position of the critical peptidoglycan (PGN)-binding residues in the leucine-rich repeat domain of carp TLR2 were conserved. Transfection...

22 The migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from the media to the intima is 23 proposed to be a key event in the development of atherosclerosis. Recently, we reported 24 that Chlamydia pneumoniae infection is involved in VSMC migration. However, the 25 exact mechanisms for C. pneumoniae infection-induced VSMC migration are not yet well 26 elucidated. In this study we examined the r...