Korean J Helicobacter Up Gastrointest Res.  2011 Sep;11(2):112-116. 10.7704/kjhugr.2011.11.2.112.

The Expression of Human beta-defensin 2 in Helicobacter pylori Infection

• Kim ES
• Kim SS
• Chang YJ
• Byun SW
• Kim HK
• Cho YS
• Kim JI
• Chung IS

• KMID: 2249544
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7704/kjhugr.2011.11.2.112

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Induction of human beta-defensin-2 (hBD2), an innate antimicrobial peptide in the intestinal mucosa, occurs after bacterial infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the expression of hBD2 and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in the gastric epithelia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Gastric mucosa was sampled from the patients with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers before and after H. pylori eradication and the expression of hBD2 was assessed with immunohistochemistry. The antimicrobial effect was assayed as the number of colony forming units of H. pylori incubated with the various concentrations of hBD2.
RESULTS
Thirty six patients were included in this study and 30 patients (83%) revealed expression of the hBD2 in their gastric epithelia. The hBD2 was not expressed in 22 patients after successful H. pylori eradication, but did expressed in 8 patients after H. pylori eradication failure. The expression of hBD2 was well correlated with the density of H. pylori, acute and chronic inflammation, and the degree of atrophy of gastric mucosa.
CONCLUSIONS
The hBD2 is induced in the gastric epithelia in response to the H. pylori infection, and its expression is well correlated with the severity of gastric inflammation.

Keyword

Helicobacter pylori; DEFB4A

MeSH Terms

Atrophy
Bacterial Infections
Gastric Mucosa
Gastritis
Helicobacter
Helicobacter pylori
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Inflammation
Intestinal Mucosa
Peptic Ulcer
Stem Cells