Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen presenting cells for triggering of the immune reaction post transplantation. These cells are centrally involved in the initiation of T cell-dependent immune responses. Objective: To compare the level of DC maturation and function in liver transplant recipients with healthy controls. Methods: In this study, twelve peripheral blood samples we...

Objective. To investigate the effects of Toll-like receptors in stem cell osteogenesis. Methods. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were divided into the blank group, the TLR-3 activated group, and the TLR-4 activated group. After 10 days' osteogenic-promoting culture, expression of type I collagen and osteocalcin was determined by Western blot. Osteoblasts (OBs) were also divided into ...

OBJECTIVE Levels of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7) are elevated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the impact on RA is unknown because the endogenous ligand for TLR-7 has not been identified. The aim of this study was to identify a TLR-7 endogenous ligand and to determine its role in the pathogenesis of RA. METHODS The presence of an endogenous TLR-7 ligand, microRNA let-7b (miR-let-7b), was exa...

Postcholecystectomy bile duct injuries (BDI) produce hepatic cholestasis and cause infection of the biliary tract. The biliary cells participate in secreting cytokines and in expression of immune response receptors. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) conduct signalling and activate the innate and adaptive inflammatory response. The objective was to determine the serum levels of TLR-2 and the expression...

NK cells limit the emergence of cancers and viral infections by surveillance of 'missing-self' and 'induced-self' ligands, and by direct recognition of pathogen-associated molecules. We examined individual roles for Toll-like receptors (TLRs)-7 and -8 in human NK-cell activation using synthetic, small molecule agonists of either TLR-7 (imiquimod and 3M-001), TLR-8 (3M-002) or both TLR-7/8 (3M-0...

Toll-like receptors (TLR) recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and regulate the subsequent immune responses in mammals. We have so far succeeded in finding the 11 types of TLR genes from Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). TLR genes have also been found in the genomes of fugu (Takifugu rubripes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). However, only limited information is kn...

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins constitute a class of negative regulators for Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathways. These intracellular proteins are induced by cytokine signaling, but they can also be induced by stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLR). It has even been suggested that SOCS proteins are important negative re...

Genetic host factors play a substantial role in susceptibility to and severity of malaria, which continues to cause at least one million deaths per year. Recently, members of the toll-like receptor (TLR) family have been shown to be involved in recognition of the etiologic organism Plasmodium falciparum: The glycosylphosphatidylinisitol anchor induces signaling in host cells via TLR-2 and -4, w...

tetanus is caused by the tetanus neurotoxin (tent), a 150 kda single polypeptide molecule which is cleaved into active two-chain molecules composed of a 50 kda n-terminal light (l) and a 100 kda c-terminal heavy (h) chains. fragment c is further subdivided into two subdomains: the proximal hcn  subdomain and the extreme carboxy subdomain, hcc. hcc is considered as an immunodominant part of tent...