title: The differential effect of genetic variation on soluble CD14 levels in human plasma and milk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The protein CD14 is a pattern recognition receptor for bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Whether genetic variation has the same influence on soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels in human plasma and milk remains to be determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured sCD14 levels in plasma during pregnancy (n = 196) and in milk in the postpartum (n = 152) for women genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions -1619, -550, and -159 from the transcription start site of the CD14 gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma- and milk-sCD14 levels differed significantly both by CD14/-1619 and CD14/-550 genotypes and by haplotypes. Most interestingly, sCD14 levels were regulated differentially by the same genetic variants in plasma and milk, with the CD14/-550T allele and the corresponding are ATC haplotype associated with high sCD14 in milk but low sCD14 in plasma. A correlation between sCD14 levels in plasma and milk was absent (r = 0.091, P = NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest the existence of cell-specific regulation mechanisms of CD14 gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Arizona Respiratory Center, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ 85724-5030, USA.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carla Lohman
authors.forename: Tricia D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: LeVan
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Fernando D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D010298:Parity; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors