title: Expression of cathelicidin in recurrent throat infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epithelial cells can be called the first line of a defense barrier to microorganisms by the innate immune system. The antimicrobial peptides are the major participants of this system. Cathelicidins are a family of peptides thought to provide an innate defensive barrier against a variety of potential microbial pathogens.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the expression of the cathelicidin in recurrent throat infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining were performed for 10 palatine tonsil tissues with hypertrophy and 10 palatine tonsil tissues with recurrent throat infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cathelicidin mRNA transcripts were detected in recurrent throat infection. The expression levels of cathelicidin mRNA in recurrent throat infection was significantly higher compared with those in hypertrophic tonsils. Cathelicidin protein was localized on the tonsillar surface epithelium and inflammatory cells in the tonsillar crypt of recurrent throat infection patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that cathelicidin is one of antimicrobial peptides in the human palatine tonsils, and that cathelicidin may also play an important role in innate host defense of human tonsils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Communication Disorder, Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Guro-gu, 152-703 Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kyu Sung
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jeong Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Jae Gu
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hee Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Soon Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Heung-Man
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012008:Recurrence; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054804:Cathelicidins