The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
OBJECTIVE: LL-37, the unique cathelicidin expressed in humans, in addition to acting as an endogenous antibiotic, is an important cell-signaling molecule upregulated in ovarian, breast, and lung tumors. However, the role of LL-37 in tumor microenviro…
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) represent an important defense mechanism against microorganisms. Clearance of NETs is impaired in a subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and NETosis is increased in neutrophils and, particularly,…
The production of antimicrobial peptides is essential for protection against a wide variety of microbial pathogens and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several diseases. The mechanisms responsible for expression of antimicrobial peptide…
The α-chemokine stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1), which binds to the CXCR4 and CXCR7 receptors, directs migration and homing of CXCR4+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) to bone marrow (BM) and plays a crucial role in retention of these cell…
Antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs) are important components of the host innate defense mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that the outer membrane lipoprotein, Lpp, of Enterobacteriaceae interacts with and promotes susceptibility to the bactericidal…
The complement pathway was implicated in the immunopathogenesis of lupus and other autoimmune disorders decades ago. The apparent paradox that early complement component (C1q, C2 and C4) deficiencies predispose to lupus has been explained by the bene…
UNLABELLED: The serum level of the human cathelicidin-LL37, an immunomodulatory vitamin D-induced peptide was less studied in viral hepatitis. The aim of this study was to analyse the cathelicidin-LL37 and vitamin D serum level in hepatitis B virus (…
BACKGROUND: Acne inversa is a chronic, suppurative relapsing inflammatory skin disease that primarily affects the axillae, perineum and inframammary regions. Evidence suggests that the innate immune system is involved in the pathogenesis of acne inve…
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D may play important roles in regulating immune responses and in defence against infectious diseases by effects on both innate and adaptive immune responses. Little is known regarding activation of vitamin D within airway tissues…
Uncoupled bone resorption leads to net alveolar bone loss in periodontitis. The deficiency of LL-37, the only human antimicrobial peptide in the cathelicidin family, in patients with aggressive periodontitis suggests that LL-37 may play a pivotal rol…
Glutamine synthetase (GS) and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) were identified as novel adhesive moonlighting proteins of Lactobacillus crispatus ST1. Both proteins were bound onto the bacterial surface at acidic pHs, whereas a suspension of the c…
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) are food-borne pathogens that cause serious diarrheal diseases. To colonize the human intestine, these pathogens must overcome innate immune defenses such as antimicrobial…
BACKGROUND: Foot ulcers are one of the main diabetes complications due to its high frequency and difficulty of complete healing. There are several factors that participate in diabetic ulcers development and limited information exists about the role o…
This study investigated in vivo the influence of age and vitamin D status on innate immune function in HC. Serum 25OHD was measured in 71 HC. TLR expression on various subpopulations of PBMCs, as well as TLR function by stimulating PBMCs with specifi…
Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffer from chronic lung infection and inflammation leading to respiratory failure. Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with CF, and correction of vitamin D deficiency may improve innate immunity and reduce i…
Cathelicidins are a major family of antimicrobial peptides present in vertebrate animals with potent microbicidal and immunomodulatory activities. Four cathelicidins, namely fowlicidins 1 to 3 and cathelicidin B1, have been identified in chickens. As…
BACKGROUND: Although numerous genetic studies have been performed, only 0.9% of blood pressure phenotypic variance has been elucidated. This phenomenon could be partially due to epistatic interactions. Our aim was to identify epistatic interaction(s)…
Antimicrobial peptides, molecules produced in many different organisms, have high biocidal activity against several microorganisms. However, several questions about these molecules remain unclear. Therefore, this report details a systematic survey of…
BACKGROUND: In the present study, the expression and localization of three epithelial peptides (human β-defensin [hBD]-2 and -3, and cathelicidin [LL-37]) are studied in an organotypic dento-epithelial (OD-E) model exposed to Fusobacterium nucleatum…
BACKGROUND: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare neoplasm of lymphatic endothelial cells. Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) is considered to be a necessary, but not sufficient causal agent of KS and additional cofactors remain unknown. In this study we evaluat…