title: The expression of hBDs in the gingival tissue and keratinocytes from healthy subjects and periodontitis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the secretion of antimicrobial peptides in gingival tissue and isolated cells has been reported, the induction of human β-defensins (hBDs) in epithelial cells from the periodontitis patients was not stated before. This study aimed to compare the secretion of hBDs in gingival epithelial cells from periodontitis patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Firstly, gingival biopsies were obtained from chronic periodontitis patients and healthy controls and the hBDs expression level in gingival tissues was quantified. Then the epithelial cells from periodontitis patients and healthy controls were isolated and challenged with different concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα). The hBDs expression level was also quantified after induction. At last, to identify the molecular pathways involved in hBDs induction, the isolated cells were incubated with NF-kB or MAPK inhibitor before TNFα induction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher hBDs expression was found in gingival tissues from healthy controls. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that the hBD-2 expression in gingival epithelial cells from periodontitis patients can be induced by TNFα at lower dose, while the optimum expression level was much lower. The basal hBD-3 mRNA expression was much higher in cells from periodontitis patients. The molecular pathways involved in the responses to the inflammatory cytokine in patients and healthy controls were the same.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The epithelial cells from periodontitis patients are more prone to recognize and respond to TNFα to produce hBD-2. The basal expression of hBD-3 in keratinocytes from periodontitis patients suggested that hBD-3 may play an important role in the immunological reaction against periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China. Electronic address: kqyyljr@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Jiarong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China. Electronic address: c123321j@126.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China. Electronic address: duxingyan2010@163.com.
authors.forename: Xingyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China. Electronic address: mygirlhl@163.com.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China. Electronic address: chenlili@whuh.com.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000494:pharmacology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000494:pharmacology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D023083:beta-Defensins; D012313:RNA; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
keywords: Antimicrobial peptides; Gingival tissue; Human β-defensins; Periodontitis