Apolipoprotein B (apoB)-depleted sera of healthy subjects (control, n = 20), of patients with
compensated (comp., n = 59) cirrhosis and of cirrhotic patients with acute
decompensation (decomp., n = 21) were analyzed for their ability to inhibit
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)
activation in monocytes. U937 monocytes containing a reporter cassette for
NF-κB, were pretreated with (A) increasing concentrations (1-50
µg/mL) of reconstituted HDL (rHDL), (B) 10% lipoprotein deficient sera
(LPDS) or (B,C) 7% apoB-depleted sera. After 1 ½ hours cells were
stimulated with LPS (50 ng/mL) for 24 hours, followed by assessment of GFP
expression by flow cytometry. (D,E) The supernatants of LPS stimulated monocytes
which were pretreated with 7% apoB-depleted sera of patients or controls were
analyzed for (D) interleukin-6 (IL-6) and (E) tumor necrosis factor-α
(TNF-α) concentrations using flow cytometry. All values shown represent
means of two independent experiments measured in duplicates. RFU, relative
fluorescence units.