ABSTRACT
Objective To identify the expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) on peripheral blood monocytes and B cells of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic rhinitis combined with allergic asthma (ARA) before and after allergen challenge. Methods The peripheral venous blood from patients with AR and ARA were recruited and stimulated with Artemisia sieversiana wild allergen extract (ASWE), house dust mite allergen extract (HDME), and Platanus pollen allergen extract (PPE). Flow cytometry was then used to detect the expression of TLR2 on peripheral monocytes and B cells. Results Compared with healthy control (HC) group, the percentage of TLR2+ monocytes and decreased mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of TLR2 on monocytes in AR and ARA patients decreased. After being challenged with the above mentioned three allergens, the portion of TLR2+ monocytes in HC group and MFI of TLR2 on monocytes in AR patients also decreased. Meanwhile, MFI of TLR2 on B cells also showed a decrease after challenged with ASWE and HDME. Conclusion The expression of TLR2 on monocytes and B cells decreases in AR and ARA patients.
