Abstract
When exposed to small amounts of bacterial endotoxin, matrices of cholesterol crystals, but not cholesterol itself, primed human monocytes/macrophages to a highly augmented (>10-fold) production of inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-a. Priming also sensitized the cells, as 10-to 100-fold lower levels of endotoxin were needed for TNF-a production equivalent to that of unprimed cells. The pro-inflammatory effect was selective as endotoxin-induced production of other pro-inflammatory cytokines was unaffected while production of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 was diminished. These findings suggest that cholesterol matrix formation may play a pathogenic role in atherosclerotic inflammation, and they indicate a mechanism by which bacteria and/or bacterial products may play a role in processes leading to arteriosclerosis.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Discovery Medicine |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 96 |
Pages (from-to) | 309-12 |
Number of pages | 4 |
ISSN | 1539-6509 |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2014 |