Association between toll-like receptor 6 expression and auxiliary T cells in the peripheral blood of pediatric patients with allergic purpura

The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlations between toll-like receptor 6 (TLR6) expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and auxiliary T cells of children with purpura. A total of 42 children with acute Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) were selected for the study, and a further 30 healthy children were selected as a control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to detect the levels of plasma interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17, and flow cytometry was performed to detect the TLR6 protein expression levels in PBMCs. The plasma levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-17 in the HSP group were significantly higher compared with those in the normal control group. TLR6 protein expression was significantly increased in the PBMCs of the HSP patients. The TLR6 protein expression levels in the monocytes of the HSP group significantly positively correlated with the serum IL-4 and IL-17 levels, but not with the serum levels of IFN-γ. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that the activation of TLR6 may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of HSP, and that the activated TLR6 may mediate this process by upregulating the immune responses of type 2 T helper (Th2) and Th17 cells.