title: Differential expression of human beta defensin 2 and human beta defensin 3 in human middle ear cholesteatoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the differential expressions of human beta defensin (hBD) 2 and hBD-3 in human middle ear cholesteatoma epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of hBD-2 and hBD-3 were analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. Samples were obtained from 10 patients who underwent middle ear surgery for middle ear cholesteatoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed that the messenger RNAs and proteins of hBD-2 and hBD-3 were higher in the cholesteatoma epithelium than in normal external auditory canal skin. In cholesteatoma epithelium, hBD-2 and hBD-3 activities were present in the upper granular layer and in the prickle cell layer, but in the normal skin they were poorly expressed in all layers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased expressions of hBD-2 and hBD-3 in cholesteatoma epithelium suggest that cholesteatoma, a chronic inflammatory state of middle ear keratinocytes, may induce an innate immune response. That the induction of hBD-2 was found to be more intense than that of hBD-3 in cholesteatoma epithelium implies that hBD-2 is the major effector in terms of chronic epithelial inflammatory responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dongguk University International Hospital, Kyeonggi.
authors.forename: Jae-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sung-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Jeong-Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Heung-Man
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hak-Hyun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Soon-Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D023083:beta-Defensins