Platelet response as a sentinel marker of toll-like receptor 4 activation in mice

Abstract

Chronic low grade infection with Gram negative organisms, inferred from traces in plasma of endotoxin, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), has been linked to ischemic vascular disease [1–3]. Low level bacteremia in nominally healthy individuals may be a normal state involving commensal organisms and can arise from activities as routine as tooth brushing [4]. Innate immune responses to Gram negative bacteria involve interaction of bacterial LPS with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which occurs on the surface of most cells, including platelets [5].