Toll-like receptors in autoimmunity with special reference to systemic lupus erythematosus.

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) family plays a fundamental role in host innate immunity by mounting a rapid and potent inflammatory response to pathogen infection. TLRs recognize distinct microbial components and activate intracellular signaling pathways that induce expression of host inflammatory genes. Several studies have indicated that TLRs are implicated in many inflammatory and immune disorders. Extensive research in the past decade to understand TLR-mediated mechanisms of innate immunity has enabled pharmaceutical companies to begin to develop novel therapeutics for the purpose of controlling an inflammatory disease. The roles of TLRs in the development of autoimmune diseases have been studied. TLR7 and TLR9 have key roles in production of autoantibodies and/or in development of systemic autoimmune disease. It remains to be determined their role in apoptosis, in the pathogenesis of RNA containing immune complexes, differential expression of TLRs by T regulatory cells.