Overexpression of Toll-Like Receptors 2, 3, 4, and 8 Is Correlated to the Vascular Atherosclerotic Process in the Hyperlipidemic Rabbit Model: The Effect of Statin Treatment.

Background: Atherosclerosis is the major cause of cardiovascular disease; hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor. We hypothesized that specific TLR members (TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR8) may play a role in atherosclerosis progression and its accompanying inflammatory response. We determined the association of atherosclerotic lesions and TLR mRNA expression in different aortic sites.