In addition to regulating proinflammatory cascades and LPS binding, Cd14 also plays a role in monocyte apoptosis. GO analysis identified “cell death,” along with “apoptotic process” and “programmed cell death,” as significant biological categories. Apoptosis and programmed cell death are innate immune system functions; CD14 also recognizes apoptotic cells [37]. Increased Cd14 expression is associated with monocyte survival whereas decreased Cd14 expression is associated with monocyte apoptosis [38]. There are also numerous reports on ethanol-mediated cell death. For example, a study has shown that chronic alcohol consumption activates glial cells in rats, which upregulates inflammatory mediators. This process occurs along with the stimulation of IRAK and MAP kinases, which in turn, activate NF-κB and AP-1, which are associated with apoptosis and inflammatory damage [39].
