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Toll-like receptors in cellular subsets of human tonsil T cells: altered expression during recurrent tonsillitis

Månsson, Anne LU ; Adner, Mikael LU and Cardell, Lars-Olaf LU (2006) In Respiratory Research 7.
Abstract
Background: The palatine tonsils have a pivotal role in immunological detection of airborne and ingested antigens like bacteria and viruses. They have recently been demonstrated to express Toll-like receptors ( TLRs), known to recognize molecular structures on such microbes and activate innate immune responses. Their activation might also provide a link between innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, the expression profile of TLR1-TLR10 was characterized in human tonsil T cells, focusing on differences between subsets of CD4(+) T helper ( Th) cells and CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The study was also designed to compare the TLR expression in T cells from patients with recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hyperplasia.... (More)
Background: The palatine tonsils have a pivotal role in immunological detection of airborne and ingested antigens like bacteria and viruses. They have recently been demonstrated to express Toll-like receptors ( TLRs), known to recognize molecular structures on such microbes and activate innate immune responses. Their activation might also provide a link between innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, the expression profile of TLR1-TLR10 was characterized in human tonsil T cells, focusing on differences between subsets of CD4(+) T helper ( Th) cells and CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The study was also designed to compare the TLR expression in T cells from patients with recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hyperplasia. Methods: Tonsils were obtained from children undergoing tonsillectomy, and classified according to the clinical diagnoses and the outcome of tonsillar core culture tests. Two groups were defined; recurrently infected tonsils and hyperplastic tonsils that served as controls. Subsets of T cells were isolated using magnetic beads. The expression of TLR transcripts in purified cells was assessed using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The corresponding protein expression was investigated using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Results: T cells expressed a broad repertoire of TLRs, in which TLR1, TLR2, TLR5, TLR9 and TLR10 predominated. Also, a differential expression of TLRs in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was obtained. TLR1 and TLR9 mRNA was expressed to a greater extent in CD4+ cells, whereas expression of TLR3 mRNA and protein and TLR4 protein was higher in CD8(+) cells. CD8(+) cells from infected tonsils expressed higher levels of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR5 compared to control. In contrast, CD4(+) cells exhibited a down-regulated TLR9 as a consequence of infection. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates the presence of a broad repertoire of TLRs in T cells, a differential expression in CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells, along with infection-dependent alterations in TLR expression. Collectively, these results support the idea that TLRs are of importance to adaptive immune cells. It might be that TLRs have a direct role in adaptive immune reactions against infections. Thus, further functional studies of the relevance of TLR stimulation on T cells will be of importance. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Respiratory Research
volume
7
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000238829400001
  • pmid:16504163
  • scopus:33745487556
ISSN
1465-9921
DOI
10.1186/1465-9921-7-36
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7e22b4a3-4c96-45c9-b208-16d5d78a4331 (old id 908561)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:57:15
date last changed
2022-02-25 23:46:14
@article{7e22b4a3-4c96-45c9-b208-16d5d78a4331,
  abstract     = {{Background: The palatine tonsils have a pivotal role in immunological detection of airborne and ingested antigens like bacteria and viruses. They have recently been demonstrated to express Toll-like receptors ( TLRs), known to recognize molecular structures on such microbes and activate innate immune responses. Their activation might also provide a link between innate and adaptive immunity. In the present study, the expression profile of TLR1-TLR10 was characterized in human tonsil T cells, focusing on differences between subsets of CD4(+) T helper ( Th) cells and CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The study was also designed to compare the TLR expression in T cells from patients with recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hyperplasia. Methods: Tonsils were obtained from children undergoing tonsillectomy, and classified according to the clinical diagnoses and the outcome of tonsillar core culture tests. Two groups were defined; recurrently infected tonsils and hyperplastic tonsils that served as controls. Subsets of T cells were isolated using magnetic beads. The expression of TLR transcripts in purified cells was assessed using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The corresponding protein expression was investigated using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Results: T cells expressed a broad repertoire of TLRs, in which TLR1, TLR2, TLR5, TLR9 and TLR10 predominated. Also, a differential expression of TLRs in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was obtained. TLR1 and TLR9 mRNA was expressed to a greater extent in CD4+ cells, whereas expression of TLR3 mRNA and protein and TLR4 protein was higher in CD8(+) cells. CD8(+) cells from infected tonsils expressed higher levels of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR5 compared to control. In contrast, CD4(+) cells exhibited a down-regulated TLR9 as a consequence of infection. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates the presence of a broad repertoire of TLRs in T cells, a differential expression in CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells, along with infection-dependent alterations in TLR expression. Collectively, these results support the idea that TLRs are of importance to adaptive immune cells. It might be that TLRs have a direct role in adaptive immune reactions against infections. Thus, further functional studies of the relevance of TLR stimulation on T cells will be of importance.}},
  author       = {{Månsson, Anne and Adner, Mikael and Cardell, Lars-Olaf}},
  issn         = {{1465-9921}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Respiratory Research}},
  title        = {{Toll-like receptors in cellular subsets of human tonsil T cells: altered expression during recurrent tonsillitis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1465-9921-7-36}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1465-9921-7-36}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}