Journal
ANNALS OF MEDICINE
Volume 34, Issue 2, Pages 96-101Publisher
ROYAL SOC MEDICINE PRESS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/07853890252953482
Keywords
airway epithelium; airway inflammation; antimicrobial peptides; defensins; inflammatory lung disease; innate immunity
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The human airways are protected from invading microorganisms by the highly efficient innate immune system. Antimicrobial peptides that are produced by inflammatory cells and airway epithelial cells are key elements in this innate immune system. A major subgroup of the antimicrobial peptides is the family of defensins - small nonenzymatic and cationic peptides. Besides their extensively studied role in antimicrobial defense, recent studies have demonstrated that defensins are also able to modulate inflammatory responses, to stimulate adaptive immunity and contribute to tissue repair. In line with these observations, increased defensin levels were observed in inflammatory lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF). diffuse panbroncheolitis (DPB), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and in infectious diseases. In the past decade much has been learnt about the activity of defensins and there is abundant evidence for their presence in human inflammatory lung disease. Future studies are required to elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of these diseases.
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