LEVELS OF HBD2 AND HBD3 IN PATIENTS INFECTED AND NON-INFECTED BY HELICOBACTER PYLORI

Introduction: Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) evokes inflammatory and immune responses of the host, which most likely determine the clinical outcome of H. pylori infection. In the gastric epithelium, expression of human alpha-defensins, beta-defensins (hBD)-1, -2 and -3 has been detected in vivo. In particularly hBD3 as well hBD2 is known to be induced in gastric epithelial cells infection by the H. pylori and may be involved in the pathogenesis of H pylori-associated gastritis, possibly through its function as immune and inflammatory mediator. However, during prolonged infection, hBD3 was subsequently downregulated by the H. pylori virulence determinant CagA. Materials and M…