TLR4 May Accelerate Hypoxia Reaction to Promote the Occurrence and Progress of Cervical Lesions by Infected Pathogenic Microorganisms Other than HPV

Abstract

Objective: To explore what role the inflammatory immune response is playing in the occurrence and development of HPV related cervical disease. Methods: To detect the expression of TLR4, HIF-1α and HPV16 E7 in the specimens of HPV related cervical lesions, for example normal cervix, cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer by RT PCR methods. Results: The expression of TLR4 and HIF-1α ascent from normal cervix to cervicitis, then to CIN tissue, and then to cervical cancer (P < 0.05). The expression of HPV16 E7 was higher in cervicitis than that in normal cervix (P < 0.05) while there was no significant ascendance from cervicitis to CIN tissue, either from CIN tissue to cer-vical cancer although it seemed ascending (P > 0.05). Conclusion: TLR4 may promote the occurrence and progress of cervical lesions by accelerating the hypoxia reaction. And the natural immune reaction mediated by TLR4 may be correlated to other pathogenic microorganisms infecting the cervical tissue, rather than HPV.