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. 2022 May 10;22(1):448.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07437-9.

mRNA expression of toll-like receptors 3, 7, 8, and 9 in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cells of coronavirus disease 2019 patients

Zahra Bagheri-Hosseinabadi  1   2 , Ebrahim Rezazadeh Zarandi  3   4 , Mohammad Mirabzadeh  5 , Ali Amiri  6 , Mitra Abbasifard  7   8
Affiliations

mRNA expression of toll-like receptors 3, 7, 8, and 9 in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cells of coronavirus disease 2019 patients

Zahra Bagheri-Hosseinabadi et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: The etiopathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stem partially from the abnormal activation of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Here in the current investigation, the mRNA expression levels of toll-like receptors (TLRs) were evaluated in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cells from COVID-19 patients.

Methods: Epithelial cells were obtained using nasopharyngeal swab samples from 90 COVID-19 patients and 50 controls. COVID-19 cases were classified into those without symptoms, with symptoms but not hospitalized, and with symptoms and hospitalized. To determine the mRNA expression levels of TLRs, first RNA was extracted and cDNA was synthesized, and finally Real-time PCR was exerted.

Results: It was seen that the transcript levels of TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 were overexpressed in the COVID-19 patients with clinical symptoms needing hospitalization as well as in those with clinical symptoms without needing for hospitalization compared to controls. Upregulation of TLRs was associated with clinical presentations of the patients.

Conclusions: Modulation of TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9 in the epithelial cells of COVID-19 cases may estimate the disease severity and requirement for hospitalization.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019; Epithelial cell; Inflammation; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Toll-like receptor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The flow-diagram of study subject selection and study procedure
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Bar graphs show the mRNA expression levels of TLR3 (a), TLR7 (b), TLR8 (c), and TLR9 (d) in the epithelial cells obtained from COVID-19 cases compared to the control group (* show P < 0.05 and ** shows a P < 0.01)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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