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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2006, p. 1433-1441, Vol. 50, No. 4
0066-4804/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/AAC.50.4.1433-1441.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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William J. Jordan,1,
Joyce Eskdale,1
Alessandro Tossi,3
Nikolinka Antcheva,3
Sergio Crovella,2
Nancy D. Connell,4 and
Grant Gallagher1*
Department of Oral Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 185 South Orange Avenue, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07103-2714,1 Genetics Service, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy,2 Department of Biochemistry, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34100 Trieste, Italy,3 Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 185 South Orange Avenue, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07103-27144
Received 2 May 2005/ Returned for modification 16 June 2005/ Accepted 30 November 2005
ß-Defensins are a family of small cationic peptides involved in the innate response to microbial infection. Although their role in microbial killing is well established, the mechanisms through which this occurs remain largely undefined. Here, using protein array technology, we describe a role for human ß-defensins in the induction of an inflammatory cytokine response by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Human ß-defensins 1, 2, and 3 were examined for induction of an array of cytokines and chemokines. Some cytokines, such as interleukin 8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, were up-regulated by all three defensins, while others, such as IL-6 and IL-10, were induced more selectively. It was notable that each defensin induced a unique pattern of cytokines. This report documents, for the first time, an analysis of the composite cytokine response of human PBMCs to ß-defensins. The induction or up-regulation of a number of cytokines involved in the adaptive immune response suggests a possible role for these defensins in linking innate and acquired immunity.
These authors contributed equally to this study.
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