CD14 overexpression upregulates TNF-α-mediated inflammatory responses and suppresses the malignancy of gastric carcinoma cells.

CD14 mediates the inflammatory response via recognition of lipopolysaccharide, which has been implicated in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections. Increasing evidence has suggested that CD14 status significantly influences the clinical outcome of H. pylori infection, which can result in gastric carcinoma. However, there is little evidence regarding the cellular impact and associated molecular basis of CD14 on gastric carcinoma cells. To address this question, we generated a CD14-overexpressing SGC-7901 gastric carcinoma cell line and analyzed the impact of CD14 expression. Our results revealed that cells overexpressing CD14 exhibited antitumor potential, including significantly decreased clonogenic ability, proliferation, metastatic invasion, as well as enhanced apoptosis, suggesting a tumor-suppressive role of CD14 in the cells. Intriguingly, we further discovered that CD14 overexpression activated NF-κB via upregulating its expression and simultaneously stimulating DNA binding activity. Upregulated NF-κB transcriptionally elevated a series of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-12. Together, the current study utilized a CD14-overexpressing gastric cell model to determine the impacts of CD14 upregulation on cell viability, apoptosis, and migration and NF-κB-mediated inflammation.