**1. Introduction**

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent the most significant cause of death in humans globally [1]. Around 18 million people died because of CVDs in 2016, representing 31% of all deaths worldwide, most of which occur in low- and middle-income countries [1]. In addition to modifiable risk factors such as high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, diabetes, and high blood pressure (BP) levels [2], several studies have revealed an important impact of the innate immune system on the development or the progression of many CVDs [3]. The innate immune system present in multicellular living organisms gives an immediate defense capability against foreign bodies and pathogenic organisms such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi at first exposure [4]. This system depends on the recognition of pathogens by several families of extracellular receptors, such as the cluster of differentiation 14 (*CD14*), which is responsible for triggering innate immune responses and was first identified as marker of monocytes, before being defined as a coreceptor of toll-like receptors [5].

Many studies have assessed the role of *CD14*, especially at the molecular level, and established a link between the gene product and its single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with different complex diseases such as diabetes [6] and CVDs [7]. For example, the SNP rs2569190 in the promoter region of *CD14* has been found to be implicated in coronary artery disease through changing protein levels [8,9]. Furthermore, the A allele has been reported to be functional and enhances CD14 expression, and thus the host sensitivity, for exogenous or endogenous lipopolysaccharides [10]. More importantly, soluble *CD14* levels have shown strong, independent correlations with traditional cardio-metabolic risk factors and with subclinical measures of vascular disease (carotid wall thickness, ankle-brachial index, and body mass index) [7]. Based on all of the above, we hypothesize that rs2569190 in *CD14* could be associated with CVD risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertension (HTN). Therefore, the goal of our study was to investigate the association of rs2569190 in *CD14* with CVD risk factors in individuals from the general Lebanese population.

#### **2. Materials and Methods**
