Association of the Toll-like receptor 4 and NOX4 gene and protein levels in asthmatic patients with metabolic syndrome: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND

Understanding the contributing of influence inflammatory biomarkers in asthmatic patients with metabolic syndrome is more important. Whereby, the present study considering the important association of NADPH oxidase4 (NOX4) and Toll- like receptor4 (TLR4) in the respiratory inflammatory responses in asthmatic patients with metabolic syndrome (AS-MetS) and asthmatic (AS) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this case-control study, 30 AS and 34 AS-MetS patients were enrolled. The Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) mRNA and protein levels of TLR4 and NOX4 were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Then their correlation was evaluated.

RESULTS

The significant down-regulation of mRNA and protein PBMCs expression levels of TLR4 were observed in the AS-MetS group in comparison to AS one (=0.03), but the NOX4 expression was non-significant. Additionally, the significant correlation was exhibited between mRNA expression levels of NOX4 and TLR4 in both AS-MetS (= 0.440, =0.009) and AS groups (=0.909, =0.0001). The association between TLR4 mRNA level and triglyceride in AS-MetS group (=0.454, =0.008,) and also white blood cells (WBC) in AS group (= -0.507, =0.006,) were significant.

CONCLUSION

The metabolic syndrome can significantly influence the expressions of TLR4 in AS-MetS. This study indicated that TLR4 and NOX4 altogether may provide valuable molecular knowledge of their relation with metabolic syndrome criteria for finding major pathways in different phenotype of asthma.