title: Expression of cathelicidin in human salivary glands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salivary secretions play a critical role in maintaining oral health via innate host defense mechanisms and secretion of secretory IgA. One of the antimicrobial peptides, LL-37, is the only cathelicidin protein that has yet been identified in humans. Cathelicidins are a family of peptides thought to provide an innate defensive barrier against a variety of potential microbial pathogens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the expression of cathelicidin in human salivary glands and to investigate up-regulation of cathelicidin in inflammatory conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining were performed on 20 salivary gland tissues, 10 from normal salivary glands and 10 from glands with chronic sialadenitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cathelicidin messenger RNA transcripts were detected in the tissues from the normal salivary glands and the glands with chronic sialadenitis. The level of cathelicidin messenger RNA in glands with chronic sialadenitis was significantly increased compared with that in normal salivary glands. Cathelicidin protein was expressed in the glandular epithelium of the normal salivary glands and the glands with chronic sialadenitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that cathelicidin might play an important role in innate host defense of human salivary glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 80 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-703, South Korea. hmlee91@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jeong-Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Ji Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: You Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Soon Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Heung-Man
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D054804:Cathelicidins; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012793:Sialadenitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054804:Cathelicidins; D012333:RNA, Messenger