Expression and Localization of Human Defensins in Palatine Tonsils.

Defensins are small antimicrobial peptides and effector components of innate immune responses. Recent studies have shed light on their beneficial functions for the prevention of infection and potential for development of new drugs. Here, we showed the expression profiles of human defensins in palatine tonsils with 3 different diseases: tonsillar hypertrophy, recurrent tonsillitis and focal infection of the tonsil.

Aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss in a patient with the 961 mutation in mitochondrial DNA.

The A1555G mutation in the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene is often found in patients with hearing loss after aminoglycoside exposure. A second pathogenic mutation in this gene, deletion of thymidine at position 961 with varying numbers of cytosines inserted (delT961Cn), has recently been found to predispose patients to aminoglycoside-induced deafness. We report on a Japanese patient bearing the delT961Cn who had streptomycin-induced deafness.