Background-While calcific aortic stenosis is common, calcification of the other three heart valves is not. The aortic valve interstitial cell (VIC) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of aortic stenosis. Pro-inflammatory stimulation of aortic VICs induces an osteogenic and inflammatory phenotypic change. We hypothesized that the VICs of the other heart valves do not undergo these changes. Using isolated human VICs from normal aortic, mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid valves, our purpose was to compare the osteogenic response to pro-inflammatory stimulation via TLR-4. Materials And Methods-Aortic, pulmonic, mitral, and tricuspid (n=4 for each valve type) VICs were isolated from hearts valves explanted from patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. Cells were cultured and grown to confluence in passage 2-6 before treatment with LPS (100-200ng/mL) for 24 or 48 hours. Cells were characterized by immunofluorescent staining. TLR-4 expression was analyzed (immunoblotting, flow cytometry). BMP-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) production were determined (immunoblotting). Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were determined by ELISA. Statistics were by Mann-Whitney U test. Results-TLR-4 stimulation induced BMP-2 production only in aortic VICs (p<0.05). ICAM-1 production and MCP-1 secretion increased in a similar fashion among TLR4-stimulated VICs from all four valves.