The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
BACKGROUND: The antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37/hCAP-18 and human β-defensins (hBD) are key factors in innate immune responses of the respiratory tract. OBJECTIVE: To determine LL-37 and hBD-2 concentrations in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BA…
AIM: To investigate the mechanism for LL-37 inducing MUC5AC mucin production in airway epithelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The airway epithelial NCI-H292 cells were stimulated with various concentrations of LL-37 synthetic peptide and scrambled…
Cathelicidins constitute potent antimicrobial peptides characterized by a high cationic charge that enables strong interactions with nucleic acids. In fact, the only human cathelicidin LL-37 triggers rapid sensing of nucleic acids by plasmacytoid den…
Cathelicidins are multifunctional cationic host-defence peptides (CHDP; also known as antimicrobial peptides) and an important component of innate host defence against infection. In addition to microbicidal potential, these peptides have properties w…
PROBLEM: Sex hormones can influence the immune defenses of the female genital tract (FGT) and its susceptibility to infections. Here we investigated the effect of different hormonal contraceptives on the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in…
NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps) have been described as a fundamental innate immune defence mechanism. During formation of NETs, the nuclear membrane is disrupted by an as-yet unknown mechanism. In the present study we investigated the role of h…
Candida albicans is amajor fungal pathogen in humans. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are critical components of the innate immune response in vertebrates and represent the first line of defense against microbial infection. LL-37 is the only member of…
Gingival epithelium provides first line of defence from the microorganisms present in dental plaque. It not only provides a mechanical barrier but also has an active immune function too. Gingival epithelial cells participate in innate immunity by pro…
Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, has many strategies for evading the human immune system. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important Gram-negative bacterial surface structure that activates the immune system via Toll-like re…
BACKGROUND: The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 is a significant molecule of innate immunity and recent studies indicate that it plays an important role in maintaining oral health. Yet limited knowledge exists on its role in oral diseases and oral lichen…
Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent resident of human nose and skin in many individuals, but it is also able to cause a variety of serious infections including those of the skin and soft tissue. There is increasing evidence that particularly persiste…
UNLABELLED: At birth, the foetus makes the transition from the uterus to a world full of microbes. The newborn baby needs protection against potential invading pathogens and needs to establish a normal microbiota. CONCLUSION: Antimicrobial peptides a…
BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder that presents with abnormal vascular and inflammatory conditions. Clinical manifestations include flushing, facial erythema, inflammatory papules and pustules, telangiectasias, edema, and watery or irrit…
Serine protease inhibitors of the Kazal-type 9 (SPINK9) is a keratinocyte-derived cationic peptide that is found most abundantly in the upper layers of the palmar-plantar epidermis. In vitro, the peptide displays the capacity to inhibit specifically…
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease whose pathophysiological mechanism is still unclear. However, it is known that mast cell (MC) numbers are increased in the dermis of rosacea patients. MC proteases not only recruit other immune cells, wh…
Burn wound infections are often difficult to treat due to the presence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains and biofilms. Currently, mupirocin is used to eradicate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from colonized persons; however…
Antibiotics exert several effects on host cells including regulation of immune components. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), e.g., cathelicidins and defensins display multiple functions in innate immunity. In colonic mucosa, cathelicidins are induced by…
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a widespread cutaneous pathogen responsible for the great majority of bacterial skin infections in humans. The incidence of skin infections by S. aureus reflects in part the competition between host cutaneous immu…
Tuberculosis (TB) is an ongoing threat to global health, and the lack of effective therapies for treating it is also a global problem. Previous studies have shown that human cathelicidin and defensins have effective antimicrobial activity against Myc…
The purpose of this review is to explain the function of LL-37 in the pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis. LL-37 is the only human cathelicidin identified so far. LL-37 is an integral part of the innate immune,the role of which in chronic sinusitis is…