Do plasma levels of soluble CD14 independently predict mortality in HIV infection?
sCD14, a marker of monocyte response to LPS, is an independent predictor of mortality in HIV infection. Therapeutic attenuation of innate immune activation may improve survival in patients with HIV infection.
oxLDL stimulated chemotaxis of hBMSCs in vitro. Treatment of the cells with BN52021, a specific antagonist of PAF receptor (PAF-R), completely blocked the cell migration induced by PAF, but not platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB). Using PAF-R-specific small interfering RNA, it was demonstrated that silencing of endogenous PAF-R expression significantly attenuated cell migration induced by PAF, but not PDGF-BB, suggesting the specific involvement of PAF-R in the oxLDL-induced cell migration. In addition, PAF-induced migration of hBMSCs was abrogated by pretreating cells with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, including the MEK inhibitor U0126, the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB202190, and the JNK inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, adenoviral overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of p38 MAPK blocked PAF-stimulated migration. Taken together, these results suggest that PAF plays a pivotal role in the oxLDL-induced recruitment of hBMSCs through mechanisms involving PAF-R-dependent activation of MAPKs.