Heparin and Enoxaparin Enhance Endotoxin-Induced Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Production in Human Monocytes

Abstract

The effect of heparin to enhance LPS-induced TNF-alpha release is a biologic phenomenon that reveals a novel and potentially important host defense mechanism during endotoxemia and sepsis. Binding of LPS to CD14 is necessary to induce this phenomenon, suggesting that both heparin and enoxaparin induce signaling mechanisms that are downstream from the initial binding of LPS on CD14.