Feng Yan, Pan Xiaoling, Huang Ning, Feng Yun, Wu Qi, Wang Boyao
Research Unit of Infection and Immunity, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2003 Apr;34(2):217-9.
Human beta-defensins (HBDs) are small, cationic endogenous antimicrobial peptides isolated from the hemodialates of patients with chronic renal failure (HBD-1) and Psoriasic skin (HBD-2). They may play an important role in mucosal innate host defense against infections. In this study, we examined their mRNAs expression in normal and pregnant women genital tract.
Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed in the detection of HBD-1 and HBD-2 mRNA expression in the samples from normal and pregnant women genital tract. beta-actin was taken as positive control.
RT-PCR detection revealed that HBD-1 mRNA expressed in all samples of normal women taken from vagina, cervix, endometrium, fallopian tube, and ovary, and HBD-2 mRNA widely expressed in genital tract except vagina and ovary. In pregnant women, HBD-1 mRNA widely expressed in chorion, villus, placenta, and umbilical cord, but not in amnion, and HBD-2 mRNA were detected in chorion, villus and placenta tissues.
The findings of this study on the wide expression of HBD-1 and HBD-2 in both the normal and the pregnant women genital tract suggest that HBDs may play an important role in human genital tract defense mechanisms.
人β-防御素（HBDs）是从小分子量、阳离子内源性抗菌肽中分离出来的，这些抗菌肽分别来自慢性肾衰竭患者的血液透析液（HBD-1）和银屑病皮肤（HBD-2）。它们可能在黏膜先天性宿主抗感染防御中发挥重要作用。在本研究中，我们检测了它们在正常及孕妇生殖道中的mRNA表达。
采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测正常及孕妇生殖道样本中HBD-1和HBD-2 mRNA的表达。β-肌动蛋白作为阳性对照。
RT-PCR检测显示，HBD-1 mRNA在正常女性阴道、宫颈、子宫内膜、输卵管和卵巢的所有样本中均有表达，而HBD-2 mRNA除在阴道和卵巢外，在生殖道广泛表达。在孕妇中，HBD-1 mRNA在绒毛膜、绒毛、胎盘和脐带中广泛表达，但在羊膜中未表达，HBD-2 mRNA在绒毛膜、绒毛和胎盘组织中被检测到。
本研究关于HBD-1和HBD-2在正常及孕妇生殖道中广泛表达的结果表明，HBDs可能在人类生殖道防御机制中发挥重要作用。
