Premium
091
Expression of Human β‐Defensin‐2 in the Skin Appendages of Burn Wounds
Author(s) -
Gulati Salil,
Bick Roger J,
Bhat Satyanarayan,
Pondexter Brian J.,
Buja Maximilian,
Milner Stephen M
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
wound repair and regeneration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.847
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1524-475X
pISSN - 1067-1927
DOI - 10.1111/j.1067-1927.2004.0abstractck.x
Subject(s) - antimicrobial peptides , innate immune system , dermis , biology , immunology , defensin , sepsis , apocrine , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , human skin , beta defensin , antimicrobial , pathology , medicine , anatomy , genetics
Major burn wounds are often complicated by sepsis which currently accounts for over 54% of deaths in these patients. Defensins, a family of cationic naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides are considered important components of the innate immune system as they play a major role in body’s defence by inhibiting several bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. They also chemoattract immature dendritic cells and T and B‐lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages and act as an adjuvant and enhance adaptive immunity. Our prior studies using RT‐PCR suggest decreased expression of human β defensin‐2 (HBD‐2) in burn wounds. Furthermore we demonstrated remnants of HBD‐2 in the dermis. Our current study, using fluorescence deconvolution microscopy, has clarified that HBD‐2 is present in the surviving hair follicles. The peptide was also located in the eccrine and apocrine sweat gland acini but absent in the sweat ducts, in representative skin samples of deep partial and full thickness burns. HBD‐2 was also notably absent from the vascular endothelium and fat cells. The result of these studies will contribute to an understanding of the role of antimicrobial peptides in the pathophysiology of burn injury, associated immunosuppression and sepsis.