Changes Of Toll-like Receptor MRNA And Related Cytokines In Patients With Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis

Objective: To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2)and TLR4 m RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)and in the liver of patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis(HAE),and their correlations with related cytokines in plasma.Methods: Twenty-eight HAE patients hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University during January 2012 and June 2015,and 28 healthy volunteers as a control were enrolled in this study.Plasma levels of interferon-γ(IFN-γ),interleukin-5(IL-5),IL-23,and IL-10 were measured by ELISA.q RT-PCR was performed to detect TLR2 and TLR4 m RNA levels in PBMCs and hepatic tissues.The percentage of peripheral blood eosinophil(Eo%)was determined by a hematology analyzer.The correlations of TLR2 and TLR4 m RNA levels in PBMCs with levels of related cytokines and Eo% were analyzed with the Spearman Correlation method.Results: ELISA results showed that the plasma levels of IFN-γ,IL-5,IL-23,and IL-10 in the HAE group were(301.100±47.290),(43.420±11.380),(86.580±31.990)and(8.766±7.568)pg/ml respectively,which were higher than those in the control [(301.100±67.790),(40.970±6.310),(46.770±15.490)and(6.272±10.360)pg/ml] with a statistical significance for IL-23(P<0.01).Results of q RT-PCR showed that the expression level of TLR2 in the HAE group(0.100±0.084)was significantly higher than that in the control(0.055±0.040)(P<0.05),while the expression level of TLR4 in the HAE group(0.004±0.003)was comparable to that in the control(0.003±0.002)(P>0.05).The expression of TLR2 and TLR4 m RNA in HAE lesions in the HAE group(29.680±25.650 and 21.340±16.640,respectively)were both significantly higher than that in para-lesion regions(2.308±4.140 and 5.541±9.233)and that in tissues of the control(1.112±1.431 and 1.100±1.734)(P <0.01).There was also a significant difference in Eo% between the HAE(0.448±0.240)and the control(0.110±0.100)groups.Spearman correlation coefficients revealed a positive correlation of TLR2 m RNA in PBMCs with plasma IL-23 level and peripheral blood Eo% in HAE subjects(r=0.368,r=0.382,respectively).Conclusions: There are increases in TLR2 and TLR4 m NRA expression in PBMCs and in HAE lesions in HAE patients.The TLR2 m NRA expression in PBMCs positively correlates with plasma IL-23 level and peripheral Eo%.