Expression of beta-defensin-2 in human gastric tumors: a pilot study.

Unlabelled: The present work was AIMED on the study of patterns of human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) expression in human gastric tumors.

Materials And Methods: 17 samples of surgically resected human gastric adenocarcinoma paired with respective normal tissue controls have been analyzed for the expression of hBD-2 by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and by immunohistochemical analysis using anti-hBD-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated against recombinant hBD-2 by standard hybridoma technology.

Results: The hyperexpression of hBD-2 on mRNA and protein levels was registered in 6 from 17 gastric tumor samples compared to respective controls; however, hBD-2 expression patterns seems not be related to the differentiation grade and stage of tumors and the presence of anti-Helicobacter pylori-antibodies in the blood serum of the patients.

Human beta-defensin 3 (hBD-3) expression in A431 cell line and human vulval tumors.

Unlabelled: The present work was AIMED on the study of human beta-defensin 3 (hBD-3) gene expression in A431 cell line and human vulval tumors.

Materials And Methods: Twenty surgical specimens of both malignant and conventionally normal human vulval tissues have been analyzed for the presence of hBD-3 mRNA by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In vitro experiments have been carried out on A431 cells.

Epidermoid carcinoma-derived antimicrobial peptide (ECAP) inhibits phosphorylation by protein kinases in vitro.

Animal peptide antibiotics are thought to mediate their cytotoxic and growth inhibitory action on bacteria, fungi, and cancer cells through a membrane-targeted mechanism. Although the membrane interactions of the peptide antibiotics and their penetration through the membranes have been studied in several models, the precise chain of events leading to cell death or growth arrest is not established yet. In this study we used in vitro kinase assays followed by imaging analyses to examine the effect of human cationic antimicrobial peptide ECAP on the activity of the protein kinases.