Figure 4From: Direct Toll-like receptor 2 mediated co-stimulation of T cells in the mouse system as a basis for chronic inflammatory joint diseaseExplanation for the involvement of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 on pre-activated T cells in pathogen-induced chronic inflammatory joint diseases. Any inflammation will cause the induction of chemokine and cytokine production in several tissue-associated cells in the joint, including fibroblasts, macrophages and dendritic cells. Activated T cells and T effector cells of any specificity (also auto-specificities) can respond to these signals, migrate to the joint, breach endothelial barriers, infiltrate the inflamed foci and sustain inflammatory processes by secreting cytokines in response to direct co-stimulation via TLR-2, without the necessity of engagement of the T cell receptor.Back to article page