Defensins and Mucosal Protection

摘要: The gastrointestinal tract is constantly exposed to microorganisms, mainly a large and complex population of bacteria resident in the colon distal small intestine. Although normal host relationship with luminal often mutually beneficial, also requires protection against these microorganisms. Epithelial cells play critical role mediating protective responses there increasing appreciation likely importance antimicrobial peptides defensin family that they express. enteric alpha-defensins (human defensins [HD]5 6) are expressed by Paneth cells, which normally confined intestine, but seen patients inflammatory bowel disease. Studies have shown HD5 stored cell granules precursor form processing mature peptide. Human beta-defensin (HBD)1 constitutively intestinal epithelial whereas expression HBD2 induced HBDs been be chemotactic for immature dendritic memory T cells. Thus, may not only mediate innate immunity, regulate adaptive immune