Background
In previous studies, our laboratory has shown that the salivary gland epithelial cells (SGEC) of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) display an intrinsically activated phenotype, as characterised by high expression of adhesion, costimulatory and antigen-presenting molecules. Stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) expressed by epithelia by native or synthetic ligands of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4 may be critically involved in the regulation of immune responses through the induction of various immunoactive molecules, such as the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1/CD54).