Journal article
Regulation of toll-like receptor-2 expression in chronic hepatitis B by the precore protein
Kumar Visvanathan, Narelle A Skinner, Alex JV Thompson, Stephen M Riordan, Vitini Sozzi, Roslyn Edwards, Sally Rodgers, Jelica Kurtovic, Judy Chang, Sharon Lewin, Paul Desmond, Stephen Locarnini
HEPATOLOGY | WILEY | Published : 2007
DOI: 10.1002/hep.21482
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in the innate immune response. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The TLR2 and TLR4 expression on hepatocytes and Kupffer cells from fresh liver biopsies was measured from 21 patients with untreated hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative CHB. Parallel studies were also undertaken on monocytes from their peripheral blood. Expression of TLR2 on hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and peripheral monocytes was significantly reduced in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB in comparison with HBeAg-negative CHB and controls, whereas it was significantly increased in HBeAg-ne..
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