journal.pone.0004725.pdf (287.26 kB)
Beta-defensin-2 protein is a serum biomarker for disease activity in psoriasis and reaches biologically relevant concentrations in lesional skin.
journal contribution
posted on 2012-10-24, 08:59 authored by P. A. Jansen, D. Rodijk-Olthuis, Edward J. Hollox, M. Kamsteeg, G. S. Tjabringa, G. J. de Jongh, I. M. van Vlijmen-Willems, J. G. Bergboer, M. M. van Rossum, E. M. de Jong, M. den Heijer, A. W. Evers, M. Bergers, J. A. Armour, P. L. Zeeuwen, J. SchalkwijkPrevious studies have extensively documented antimicrobial and chemotactic activities of beta-defensins. Human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2) is strongly expressed in lesional psoriatic epidermis, and recently we have shown that high beta-defensin genomic copy number is associated with psoriasis susceptibility. It is not known, however, if biologically and pathophysiologically relevant concentrations of hBD-2 protein are present in vivo, which could support an antimicrobial and proinflammatory role of beta-defensins in lesional psoriatic epidermis.
