Involvement of human beta-defensin-2 in intracellular signaling: in vitro study.

Aim: To analyze involvement of human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) in intracellular signaling in vitro.

Materials And Methods: A431cells were cultured in the presence of 1 microg/ml of recombinant hBD-2 and/or 10 ng/ml EGF. For evaluation of expression of mRNAs for p70S6 kinase, isoforms alpha and beta, RT-PCR analysis was applied.

Involvement of human beta-defensin-2 in proliferation of transformed cells of human cervix.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) on viability and proliferation of cultured human epithelial cells and the patterns of hBD-2 expression in normal tissues and early-stage human cervical neoplasia in the relation to proliferative state of these cells.

Materials And Methods: The influence of recombinant hBD-2 on viability and proliferation of cultured cells of A431 and M-HeLa lines in vitro was performed by MTT-test, 3H-thymidine incorporation and cell counting techniques. Immunohistochemical analysis of expression of hBD-2 and PCNA in tissue samples (10 normal cases (control), 30 carcinomas of the cervix uteri: 15 - squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Stage 0), and 15 squamous cell carcinoma (Stage Ia)) was performed with the use of anti-hBD-2 and anti-PCNA-mAbs, respectively.

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.

A protein kinase inhibitor from A431 subline overexpressing TGF alpha possesses antimicrobial activity.

During the last decade the key role of antimicrobial peptides in innate immunity has been argued. They were found in plants and in different phylogenic groups of animals (insects, amphibia, and even in mammals). We report the production of a human peptide antibiotic that was previously characterized as an EGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor in epidermoid carcinoma A431/1522 cell subline overexpressing TGF alpha.

[Expression of the gene for transforming growth factor type alpha, transferred into A431 cells by a recombinant retroviral vector].

Cells of human epidermoid carcinoma A431 were used for obtaining of the cell line constantly expressing TGF-alpha. Recombinant virions were obtained by introducing the proviral DNA into PA317 cells by means of electrotransfection. A protein with the EGF-competing activity was found in a conditioned media of the chosen clone A431/1522-4.