Human defensin 1

Human beta-defensin 1 (hBD-1) is probably the most important antimicrobial peptide in epithelial tissues. Its alleles and/or altered gene expression have been associated with at least 20 human diseases. hBD-1 is a tumor suppressor and DEFB1 is the only innate immunity gene that shows long-term balanced selection and heterozygote advantage. It is unique in its constitutive expression, but is still capable of upregulation upon inflammatory or microbial stimuli. The present minireview focuses on hBD-1 properties, biological function, its proposed pathogenic mechanisms and the potential uses of elicitors, inhibitors or the peptide itself in the treatment of hBD-1-related human diseases including allergies, infections and cancer.

Human β-defensin 1 (hBD-1) is a multifaceted antimicrobial peptide being a tumour suppressor and, depending on call of duty, capable of inducing self-nets and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) to capture and/or kill bacteria, participates in inflammatory responses in chronic diseases including hBD-3 upregulation and also capable of up/downregulation in the presence of certain species of Lactobacillus sp. Thus, is regulated by host microbiota. Alleles, genotypes and/or altered gene expression of its coding gene, DEFB1, have been associated with several human diseases/conditions ranging from metabolic/chronic (e.g. cancer), infectious (e.g. tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS), inflammatory (gastrointestinal diseases), male infertility and more recently, neurologic (e.g. depression and Alzheimer) and autoimmune diseases (e.g. vitiligo and systemic lupus erythematosus). The present update focuses on novel DEFB1/hBD-1 properties and biomarker features, its biological function and the pharmaceutical potential uses of antimicrobial peptide elicitors (APEs) or the engineered peptide in the treatment of hBD-1-related human diseases.

Objective: The aim: Was to investigate human-beta-defensin-1 level in blood serum depending on tuberculosis severity and treatment ef f ectiveness. Patients and methods: Materials and methods: 100 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 20 healthy persons were included to the study. HBD-1 level was measured by ELISA in all the healthy persons and in all the patients at the treatment onset and at the end of initial phase of treatment. Additionally, the patients were examined with chest X-ray, sputum microscopy and culture, blood test and blood biochemistry. Results: Results: HBD-1 level was higher in patients with tuberculosis (21.5 ± 2.9 μmol/L) compared with healthy individuals (8.9 ± 2.5 μmol/L). A positive correlation of middle strength was found between the size of lung lesion and the level of HBD-1 and between the level of HBD-1 and the massiveness of bacterial excretion. We found weakly negative correlations between the level of HBD-1 at the beginning of treatment and parameters of life quality rated on sf-36 scale. Patients with initially high level of HBD-1 had preservation of bacterial excretion, as well as signs of inf l ammatory activity. In patients with an ef f ective intensive phase of treatment, the initial level of HBD-1. Conclusion: Conclusions: The larger pulmonary tuberculosis lesion, as well as the more pronounced clinical manifestations lead to the higher level of HBD-1. The possibility of using human-beta-defensin-1 as a prognostic marker of treatment ef f ectiveness is conf i rmed by the fact that human-beta-defensin-1 level prevails at the beginning of treatment in patients with subsequently non-ef f ective intensive phase of treatment.