Association of Higher Defensin β-4 Genomic Copy Numbers with Behçet's Disease in Iraqi Patients.

Objectives: Behçet's disease (BD) is an immune-mediated small vessel systemic vasculitis. Human β-defensins are antimicrobial peptides associated with many inflammatory diseases and are encoded by the β-defensin family of multiple-copy genes. However, their role in BD necessitates further investigation.

Low DEFB4 copy number and high systemic hBD-2 and IL-22 levels are associated with dermatophytosis.

Dermatophytes initiate dermatophytosis, but susceptibility to infection is dictated by host genetic factors, although the role of some of these-such as human beta-defensin 2 (hBD-2) genomic (DEFB4) copy number (CN) variation and its induction by IL-22-remains unclear. This was investigated in this cross-sectional study in 442 unrelated Caucasian subjects, including 195 healthy controls and 247 dermatophytosis patients who were divided into five subgroups according to clinical presentation. DNA samples were evaluated for DEFB4 CN variation by relative quantification using the comparative CT method, and serum hBD-2 and IL-22 levels were determined by ELISA.

Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with chronic and aggressive periodontitis in Jordanian patients.

Vitamin D acts through binding with vitamin D receptor (VDR) and is responsible for regulating bone metabolism and mineralization; it also suppresses the immune system. The aim of this study was to investigate if VDR gene polymorphisms are associated with chronic periodontitis (CP) and aggressive periodontitis (AgP) in a Jordanian population. A total of 99 patients with CP, 63 patients with AgP, and 126 controls were genotyped using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).