title: Marked reduction of LL-37/hCAP-18, an antimicrobial peptide, in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: We detected LL-37/hCAP-18 expression in the peripheral blood smears of 50 healthy donors and 143 patients with various hematological diseases. Compared with that in the healthy donors, expression of the protein in the neutrophils was significantly lower in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially those with infection, but no significant difference was detected in messenger RNA level. We did not detect increased LL-37/hCAP-18 protein expression in U937 cells treated with lipopolysaccharide or Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain. Furthermore, LL-37/hCAP-18 protein production was not restored in differentiated myeloid cell lines NB4 or HL-60 induced by all-trans retinoic acid. LL-37/hCAP-18 has been shown to play a role in host defense, and its deficiency in AML may be one of the explanations for susceptibility to infection among these patients.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Xiao-Tong
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ying-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yong-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ke-Fu
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D020298:U937 Cells; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D054804:Cathelicidins
references.citation: Blood. 1994 Jul 1;84(1):294-302
references.pmid: 7517212
references.citation: Leuk Res. 2003 Oct;27(10):947-50
references.pmid: 12860015
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 2002 Oct 10;347(15):1151-60
references.pmid: 12374875
references.citation: Respir Res. 2000;1(3):141-50
references.pmid: 11667978
references.citation: Blood. 2000 Nov 1;96(9):3086-93
references.pmid: 11049988
references.citation: J Leukoc Biol. 1998 Dec;64(6):845-52
references.pmid: 9850169
references.citation: Cell Mol Life Sci. 2003 Apr;60(4):711-20
references.pmid: 12785718
references.citation: J Biol Chem. 1997 Jun 13;272(24):15258-63
references.pmid: 9182550
references.citation: Blood. 1997 Jan 1;89(1):166-75
references.pmid: 8978289
references.citation: Leuk Res. 2002 Dec;26(12):1097-103
references.pmid: 12443882