Expression And Implication Of Human β-defensin 2 In Ulcerative Colitis

Objective:This study was to investigate the expression of humanβ-defensin 2 (hBD-2) in inflammed and non-inflammed areas of ulcerative colitis (UC), to clarify the relationship between hBD-2 expression and different clinical manifestation, inflammation extent and clinical features (age, gender, diseased location), and to reveal the function of hBD-2 in the process of UC.Methods:During Oct.2009 to Feb.2010, in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University and Xinhua Affiliated Hospital of Dalian University, we selected 15 patients who all corresponded the UC diagnostic criteria which was established by nationalwide chronic inflammatory bowel disease academic seminar 2002 in Chengdu.15 patients (6 females/9 males) with a mean age of 52 years. Among the 15 patients,3 patients with rectal lesions,6 with recto-sigmoidal lesions and 6 with left hemi-colon lesions. The biopsy samples were collected during electronic colonoscope exams. The samples were taken from two different location in the colon, inflammed and non-inflammed areas of UC. Base on the clinical manifestation,5 patients were classified into mild type,7 into moderate type and 3 into severe type, according to Truelove-Witts criteria. Base on the endoscope manifestation,4 patients were classified into grade 0-I,7 into gradeⅡ-Ⅲand 4 into gradeⅣ, according to Baron criteria. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of hBD-2 in inflammed and non-inflammed areas of UC. Results were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 statistic software.Results:The results showed that the positive rate of hBD-2 protein expressions were 66.67%in inflammed area and 15.38%in non-inflammed area respectively. The expression of hBD-2 in UC inflammed area was significantly higher than that in non-inflammed area (P< 0.05). The expression of hBD-2 was well associated with inflammation extent of UC (P <0.05), but it was not related to defferent clinical manifestation, age, gender and diseased location (P>0.05).Conclusions1. The expression of hBD-2 protein was up-regulated in UC inflammed area, which may indicate that hBD-2 participate in the process of UC.2. The expression of hBD-2 protein had no relationship with clinical manifestations of UC. This result demonstrates that hBD-2 may not be a index for assessing clinical severity of the diseas.3. The expression of hBD-2 increased gradually with the severity of inflammation. This implicates that hBD-2 may have protective effects on limiting inflammatory process of UC.