Toll-like receptor 4 and chronic airway inflammatory disease

Abstract

Chronic airway inflammatory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchial asthma are a kind of non-specific inflammatory diseases which are involved with airway intrinsic cells,inflammatory cells and cytokines when stimulated by the intrinsic factors or extrinsinc factors.Thus far 11 human Toll-like receptor(TLR)have already been described,all of them are transmemhrane receptor of type I and are expressed in a variety of cells including epithelial cells,airway smooth muscle cells,dendritic cells and mast ceils.Such kind of receptores which have the pathogen perception and can make the defense response directly or indirectly play an important role during the development of the chronic airway inflammatory diseases.And nOW the function of TLR4 is wo prominent to become the research hotspot.So to have a depth understanding of the relationship between the TLR4 and the chronic airway inflammatory diseases can open up broad prospect of clinical treatment. Key words: Toll-like receptor; Chronic airway inflammatory; Inflammatory cells