[Expression of human beta defensin-2 in normal and various periodontitis-involved gingiva].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of HBD-2 peptides in normal and periodontitis-involved gingiva.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry were performed for detection of HBD-2 peptides expression in gingival tissues from 11 healthy subjects,18 patients with chronic periodontitis and 9 patients with aggressive periodontitis. The data were quantitatively analyzed with a computerized image processing system. And the data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA with SPSS11.5.


RESULTS
HBD-2 peptides were expressed in all tissue samples. The expression of HBD-2 peptides were mainly confined to the granular and spinous layers of the gingival epithelium, in which HBD-2 was detected in the cytoplasm. Significantly higher levels of HBD-2 expression were found in healthy gingival epithelium as compared with that in chronic periodontitis among three groups(P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggested that HBD-2 may play an important role as part of the innate host defenses in maintaining periodontal health.
Zhang
Xu
X
Department of Oral Medicine, School of Stomatology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200011, China.
Shu
Rong
R
Luo
Li-jun
LJ
Ge
Ling-hua
LH
Li
Hao-yan
HY
D010520:Aggressive Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005881:Gingiva / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism*
C106641:DEFB4A protein, human; D023083:beta-Defensins