Expression of toll like receptor 4 and cluster of differentiation 14 in chronic periodontitis patients- an immunohistochemical study

Introduction: Toll like receptors along with their co receptors contribute an essential task in immune and destruction mechanism. The aim of the present study was expression of Toll like receptor 4 and Cluster of differentiation 14 in healthy group and chronic periodontitis group. Materials and Method: Forty gingival biopsies were harvested of which10 were of healthy subjects and 30 from chronic periodontitis based on clinical records. All specimens were fixed, processed and stained by haematoxylin and eosin to histologically classify periodontitis. Later the sections were stained immunohistochemically using primary antibody for toll like receptor 4 and cluster of differentiation 14 respectively. Results: The positive expression of both Toll Like Receptor 4 and Cluster of Differentiation14 was defined as light or dark brown granules in the cytoplasm of the cell. Expression was higher in zone1 followed by zone 2 and zone 3 in chronic periodontitis. Conclusion: Toll Like Receptors act as a two-edged sword, not only maintaining periodontal health but also contributing to periodontal tissue destruction.