FIG 4.

TLR2 contributes to the control of leptospiral burden in kidney and alleviates pathology in mice. (A) Histopathology scores for the kidneys, livers, and lungs of mice. The data represent the mean histopathology scores for the two groups of mice. Statistical analysis of results for WT mice (n = 6) and TLR2^−/− mice (n = 6) was performed by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. *, P < 0.05. (B) Histopathology of kidneys (a and b), livers (c and d), and lungs (e and f) of WT mice (a, c, and e) and TLR2^−/− mice (b, d, and f) after infection with leptospires at 4 days p.i. Magnification, ×200. Representative photographs are presented. (C) Leptospiral burdens in kidneys, livers, and lungs of WT mice (n = 6) and TLR2^−/− mice (n = 6) as determined by qPCR at 4 days p.i. The results are presented as numbers of genome equivalents per microgram of tissue DNA, and the differences were compared by one-way ANOVA. *, P < 0.05.