Defensins and cathelicidins

The Defensins and cathelicidins

Jan, 2001. The Defensins and cathelicidins [online]. Seacroft and St James's University Hospitals, UK. Available from http://www.cysticfibrosismedicine.com

Anti microbial peptides called defensins and cathelicidins are innate immune factors present in airway surface liquid and make up part of the lung's natural defences (Bals et al, 1998; Bals et al, 1998; Singh et al, 1998). These peptides are produced by several different cell types including airway epithelial cells, macrophages and neutrophils. The defensins appear to be present in equivalent or higher concentrations in cystic fibrosis lungs as compared to controls. In cystic fibrosis their ability to kill bacteria may be impaired by the presence of abnormally high sodium concentrations within airway surface fluids (Bals et al, 1998; Bals et al, 1998, Goldman et al, 1998). Cathelicidin peptides also appear to have a wide range of antimicrobial activity although they may be under expressed in cystic fibrosis airways. The development of topically administered antimicrobial peptides may have a future role in the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

References

Bals R, Goldman MJ, Wilson JM. Mouse beta-defensin 1 is a salt-sensitive antimicrobial peptide present in epithelia of the lung and urogenital tract. Infect Immun 1998; 66: 1225-1232

Bals R, Wang X, Wu Z et al. Human beta-defensin 2 is a salt-sensitive peptide antibiotic expressed in human lung. J Clin Invest 1998; 102: 874-880

Bals R, Wang X, Zasloff M, Wilson JM. The peptide antibiotic LL-37/hCAP-18 is expressed in epithelia of the human lung where it has broad antimicrobial activity at the airway surface. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1998; 95: 9541-9546

Goldman MJ, Anderson GM, Stolzenberg ED et al. Human beta-defensin-I is a salt-sensitive antibiotic in lung that is inactivated in cystic fibrosis. Chemtracts 1998; 11(10): 770-776

Singh PK, Hong PJ, Wiles K et al. Production of beta-defensins by human airway epithelia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1998; 95: 14961-14966