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Production of β-defensins by human airway epithelia
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Production of β-defensins by human airway epithelia

Pradeep K Singh, Hong Peng Jia, Kerry Wiles, Jay Hesselberth, Lide Liu, Barbara-Ann D Conway, Everett P Greenberg, Erika V Valore, Michael J Welsh, Tomas Ganz, …
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS, Vol.95(25), pp.14961-14966
12/08/1998
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.95.25.14961
PMCID: PMC24558
PMID: 9843998
url
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.95.25.14961View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

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Abstract

Human β-defensins (HBDs) are antimicrobial peptides that may play a role in mucosal defense. Diminished activity of these peptides has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. We show that HBD-1 and HBD-2 mRNAs are expressed in excised surface and submucosal gland epithelia from non-CF and CF patients. The pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β stimulated the expression of HBD-2 but not HBD-1 mRNA and peptide in primary cultures of airway epithelia. HBD-1 was found in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from normal volunteers, CF patients, and patients with inflammatory lung diseases, whereas HBD-2 was detected in BAL fluid from patients with CF or inflammatory lung diseases, but not in normal volunteers. Both HBD-1 and HBD-2 were found in BAL fluid in concentrations of several ng/ml, and both recombinant peptides showed salt-sensitive bactericidal activity. These data suggest that in the lung HBD-2 expression is induced by inflammation, whereas HBD-1 may serve as a defense in the absence of inflammation.
Biological Sciences

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