ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Defensins are important components of innate immune system. These peptides have antimicrobial activity against a wise variety of pathogens that associated with burn wound infection. In particular, human beta-defensins are expressed in normal epidermal region and showed differential expression of some skin disease. We investigated that expression of human beta-defensin by in vitro and ex-vivo by thermal condition. METHODS: To investigate the expression of human beta-defensins in acute burn condition, we cultured keratinocytes and used to rat's skin at this experiment. After thermal condition, we showed the expression of beta-defensins-2 (hBD-2), -3 (hBD-3), keratins, keratinocyte differentiation and junction protein levels by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: HBD-2 & involucrin were down-regulated from 1 hr to 8 hrs in mRNA level. But others were not changed in mRNA level. In protein level, hBD-3 was decreased but pan-cytokeratin and beta-catenin were not changed. CONCLUSION: HBD-2 was down-regulated in thermal injury. Because thermal injury could induce the influence of keratinocyte differentiation and the decrease of skin protection ability. Our results suggested that human beta-defensins plays an important role in protection by several injury.