Expression of Toll-Like Receptors 2, 4 and 9 in Patients with Guillain-Barré Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: A myriad of transcription factors and inflammatory cytokines have been described to participate in the pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). However, the innate immunity components--Toll-like receptors (TLRs)--have never been explored in this disease. We therefore investigated the expression of TLR2, 4 and 9 in the peripheral circulation of GBS patients as well as healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-one GBS patients and 21 healthy donors participated in this study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used for mRNA and protein analysis of TLR-related molecules. Also, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from different subjects were incubated with different TLR agonists and the subsequent IFN-γ secretion was determined. RESULTS: Expression of TLR2, 4 and 9 as well as their related signaling molecules were higher in GBS patients compared to healthy controls. Disability scores of GBS patients had a strong positive correlation with the high levels of expression of TLR2, 4 and 9. CONCLUSIONS: The TLR signaling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of GBS.