An abundant increase in infl ammatory factors leads to acute infl ammatory diseases, such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS) ( 1 ). C-reactive protein (CRP), the prototypic marker of infl ammation, is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular events ( 2 ). Recent studies have demonstrated that CRP is present in atherosclerotic plaques and plays a pivotal role in promoting atherogenesis by regulating the expression and release of infl ammatory cytokines ( 3-5 ).Lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), a type II membrane glycoprotein acting as a receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein, mediates vascular dysfunction ( 3 ). LOX-1 is expressed on the cell surface and can be proteolytically cleaved at its extracellular domain and released as a soluble form (sLOX-1) ( 6 ). sLOX-1 level refl ects increased oxidative stress of vascular walls and has been identifi ed as a novel marker for early diagnosis of ACS ( 7,8 ). However, the exact mechanisms of sLOX-1 release from the cell membrane are poorly understood.Tumor necrosis factor-a converting enzyme (TACE), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase, mediates the release of growth factors, receptors, and adhesion molecules ( 9 ). TACE is synthesized in a latent form and activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) before reaching the cell membrane ( 10, 11 ). Studies report that CRP can upregulate ROS production by activating NAPDH Abstract Circulating levels of soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) play an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that the infl ammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) might stimulate sLOX-1 release by activating tumor necrosis factor-␣ converting enzyme (TACE). Macrophages differentiated from THP-1 cells were stimulated with TNF-␣ and further treated with CRP in the absence or presence of specifi c inhibitors or small interfering RNA (siRNA). Our results showed that CRP increased sLOX-1 release from activated macrophages in a dosedependent manner and that these effects were regulated by China (No. 60831003), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 30700301, 30971096, 30972809, and 81000126 Abbreviations: ACS, acute coronary syndrome; Apo, apocynin; CRP, C-reactive protein; DCF-DA, 2 ′ ,7 ′ -dichlorodihydrofl uorescein diacetate; Fc g R, Fc gamma receptor; IL, interleukin; LOX-1, lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1; NAC, N-acetylcysteine; PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell; PMSF, phenylmethyl sulfonylfl uoride; ROS, reactive oxygen species; siRNA, small interfering RNA; TACE, tumor necrosis factor-a converting enzyme; TAPI-1, tumor necrosis factor-a protease inhibitor 1; TNF-a , tumor necrosis factor-a . 1 X. Q. Zhao and M. W. Zhang contributed equally to this work.