Critical investigation of the CD14 promoter polymorphism: lack of a role for in vitro cytokine response and membrane CD14 expression.

Abstract

Blood of volunteers, genotyped for the CD14 C(-159)-->T polymorphism, showed no difference in cytokine release when stimulated with nine CD14-dependent immune stimuli. An analysis of the published data on the proposed association of CD14 genotype with membrane CD14 density revealed no significant correlation, questioning a functional impact of the CD14 polymorphism.