The purpose of this study was to establish whether oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) contributes to cytokine overproduction via upregulation of CD14 and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) expression on circulating monocytes of unstable angina (UA) patients. Expression of CD14 and TLR-4 on circulating monocytes, and the concentration of plasma oxLDL, (interleukin [IL])-6, IL-1 beta, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured in 27 control (C) subjects, 29 patients with stable angina (SA), and 27 with UA. CD14 and TLR-4 expression on monocytes and circulating IL-6, IL-1 beta, and oxLDL were higher in UA than in SA and C subjects (P<0.001). In in vitro experiments, oxLDL increased CD14 and TLR-4 expression (P<0.001) in control monocytes as well as IL-6, IL-1 beta, and at a lower extent TNF-alpha and MCP-1 levels in the supernatant (P from <0.05 to <0.001). The preincubation of sera derived from UA patients but with control monocytes also induced a significant increase of CD14 and TLR-4 expression (P<0.001) and of IL-6 and IL-1 beta production (P<0.001) in the supernatant. In UA patients oxLDL may contribute to monocyte overproduction of some cytokines by upregulating CD14 and TLR-4 expression.
