The expression profile of virus-recognizing toll-like receptors in natural killer cells of Cypriot multiple sclerosis pa
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BMC Research Notes Open Access
RESEARCH NOTE
The expression profile of virus‑recognizing toll‑like receptors in natural killer cells of Cypriot multiple sclerosis patients Elie Deeba1, Anastasia Lambrianides1,2, Marios Pantzaris1,2, George Krashias1,3* and Christina Christodoulou1,3
Abstract Objective: The exact aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains elusive, although several environmental and genetic risk factors have been implicated to varying degrees. Among the environmental risk factors, viral infections have been suggested as strong candidates contributing to MS pathology/progression. Viral recognition and control are largely tasked to the NK cells via TLR recognition and various cytotoxic and immunoregulatory functions. Additionally, the complex roles of different TLRs in MS pathology are highlighted in multiple, often contradictory, studies. The present work aims to analyse the TLR expression profile of NK cells isolated from MS patients. Highly purified CD56+CD3− NK cells isolated from peripheral blood of MS patients (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 20) were analysed via flow cytometry for their expression of viral antigen-recognizing TLRs (TLR2, TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9). Results: No difference was noted in TLR expression between MS patients and healthy controls. These results aim to supplement previous findings which study expressional or functional differences in TLRs present in various subsets of the immune system in MS, thus aiding in a better understanding of MS as a complex multifaceted disease. Keyword: Multiple sclerosis, Toll-like receptor, Flow cytometry, Natural killer cells Introduction There is wide consensus defining multiple sclerosis (MS) as a chronic demyelinating disease, with studies showing apparent aspects of autoimmunity [1, 2]. The risk factors that play a role in disease pathogenesis vary widely, whether genetic or environmental risk factors, working either separately or in combinations; however, the exact mechanisms of how these might interact remain unknown [3–6]. Some of the environmental risk factors include age, gender, geographical location, and diet and lifestyle [4–6]. Viral infections have taken centre stage in recent years as one of the major environmental
*Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, 6 International Airport Avenue, 2370 Nicosia, Cyprus Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
risk factors implicated in MS [4, 7, 8]. Examples include the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6), and even human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) [9]. Natural killer (NK) cells are classified as group I innate lymphoid immune cells [10] that have both cytotoxic and immunoregulatory functions depending on their subsets [11, 12]. NK cells have emerged in research in the past two decades as a possible player in the pathology of MS. One study showed the exacerbation of experimental autoimmune
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