Expressions of Toll-like Receptors on Peripheral Blood CD14~+ Monocyte in Patients with Genital Herpes

Objective:To explore the expressions of Toll-like receptors(TLRs) on CD14~+ monocytes and the role in the pathogenesis of recurrent genital herpes(RGH). Methods:The expressions of TLR4,TLR1 and TLR2 on peripheral blood CD14~+monocytes were analyzed by flow(cytometry) with two-colour immunofluorescent staining in 34 patients with RGH and 36 healthy controls.Results: The expression of TLR4 on CD14~+monocytes was significantly higher in patients with RGH than that in healthy controls(P0.001),but TLR1 expressed on monocytes from RGH patients was markedly lower than that in controls(P0.001).There was no significant difference in expression of TLR2 between patients and controls(P0.05).Conclusion:The expression of TLR4 on monocytes could be upregulated by herpes simplex virus infection,which may play a key role in recognizing virus,enhancing signal transduction and initiating innate immune responses to viral pathogens.