title: Pattern of expression of beta-defensins in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Human beta-defensin (hBD)-1 and hBD-2 are antimicrobial peptides that have been detected in certain types of epithelia, including the skin and oral epithelia. It has been suggested that bacterial infection is an important factor in the process of carcinogenesis. The expression of hBDs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) may be down-regulated. We studied the pattern of expression of hBD-1 and hBD-2 mRNA in oral (SCC) cell lines and in tumor samples obtained from four patients with oral SCC who underwent surgical resection, by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Human gingival epithelial (HGE) cells were used as the control. The effect of various inflammatory cytokines on hBD-1 and hBD-2 expression in the HGE cells and SCC cell lines, was also studied. hBD-1 mRNA was detected in the Ca-9, SCC-9 and HSC-4 cell lines, but not in the SAS and KB cell lines. hBD-2 mRNA was detected in all five cell lines. All four tumor samples expressed both hBD-1 and hBD-2 mRNA, although the mRNA level of each protein varied. These results indicate that SCCs in which hBD expression is downregulated, may be susceptible to bacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Japan. yoshi-ab@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abiko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimono
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaku
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D023082:Defensins; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D023083:beta-Defensins
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers; D023082:Defensins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D023083:beta-Defensins