Expression Of Toll-like Receptors 4 And 7 In The Lower Extremity Arteriosclerosis Obliterans

Objective: To explore the significance of Toll-like receptors 4(TLR4) and 7(TLR7) by detecting expression of the 2 receptors in the lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans(ASO).Methods: Arterial blood vessels from 23 patients of ASO for amputation of the lower extremities constituted the Experimental Group, including popliteal artery from 12 patients and femoral artery from 11 patients. Arterial blood vessels from 24 subjects of trauma receiving amputation of the lower extremities(without claudication or ASO) constituted the Control Group,including popliteal artery from 11 subjects and femoral artery from 13 subjects. Samples of the blood vessels were obtained during surgical operations, embedded in paraffin, cut into sections and stained with HE to observe the pathological changes of the arteries. The expressions of TLR4 and TLR7 in the blood vessels were detected by immunohistochemistry and quantitatively analyzed using the Plus Image-Pro 6.0 software, with the average optical density(IOD/Area)being obtained.Results: TLR4 was expressed in the Experimental Group while it was either expressed in small amounts or not expressed. The IOD/Area was 0.050±0.015(SD) in the Experimental Group, significantly(P<0.05) higher than that(0.030±0.009) in the Control Group. TLR7 was expressed in the Experimental Group but not in the Control Group. The IOD/Area was 0.045±0.013 in the Experimental Group, significantly(P<0.05) higher than that(0.026±0.009) in the Control Group.Conclusion: TLR4 and TLR7 might have played an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of ASO, likely becoming new therapeutic targets for the treatment of ASO.