Table 3.
Various human diseases associated with defensins
| Disease | Defensins | Level | Defensins mechanism in disease | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Periodontitis | hBD1-2 | Low | Low levels of hBD1-2 are associated with periodontitis. | 489–491 |
| Periodontitis | HNP1-3 | High | The pathogenesis of severe periodontitis may be aided by a local deficiency in HNP1-3. | 385,386 |
| Periodontitis | hBD3 | High | By suppressing inflammatory responses in macrophages, hBD3 exhibits the potential to hinder the progress of periodontitis. | 383,387 |
| IBD | HD5 | Low | Low levels of HD5 disrupt the balance of intestinal microbiota, causing the overgrowth of bacteria and the invasion of potentially pathogenic bacteria into the epithelium. This leads to abnormalities in the intestinal tract’s function. | 303,341,492,493 |
| IBD | hBD3 | High | On the one hand, hBD3 may resist microbial attack on the surface of the intestinal cavity. On the other hand, hBD3 enters the lamina propria and performs chemotaxis to recruit immune cells. | 326 |
| IBD | hBD2 | High | hBD2 reduced inflammation and improved disease activity indices, which may have been due to its impact on the activation of the NF-κB pathway. | 237,324–330 |
| IBD | HNP1-3 | High | HNP1-3 may be a risk gene for severe UC, and its high expression in UC patients may induce an over-immune response, but a low dose of HNP1 can relieve colitis. | 78,340,356–358 |
| T1MD | HNP1-3 | High | By activating a c-Src-dependent signaling pathway, HNP1 can reduce hepatic gluconeogenesis and lower blood glucose levels. | 71,160,364 |
| Obesity | HD5 | Low | HD5 enhances glucoregulation and ameliorates the lipid profiles in both the plasma and the liver. | 72,366 |
| COPD | hBD1-2 | High | hBD2 levels are positively correlated with severity of COPD and IL-8 levels. | 372,374,375 |
| Vitiligo | hBD1 | Low | hBD1, along with its gene polymorphisms, could potentially influence an individual’s vulnerability to vitiligo, as well as the level of disease activity. | 494 |
| Infertility | hBD1 | Low | Male infertility caused by leukocytospermia and asthenozoospermia is associated with hBD1 deficiency. hBD1 is capable of elevating sperm motility and egg-penetrating ability via trigging a CCR6-dependent Ca2+ mobilization. | 495,496 |
| Acne | hDB1-2 | High | While defensins are effective against Propionibacterium acnes, their accumulation may lead to the formation of lesions in the epithelial tissue. | 497,498 |
| Psoriasis | hBD2 | High | After exposure to hBD2, Th17 cells were recruited to promote the development of skin pathology in psoriasis patients. | 158,499 |
| Atopic dermatitis | hBD1-3 | Low | Th2 cytokine environment can inhibit the expression of hBD1-3 in AD, which may contribute to increased susceptibility to skin infections and exacerbate the symptoms. | 226,500 |
| Allergic rhinitis | hBD1-3 | Low | Th2 cytokine environment can inhibit the expression of hBD1-3 in AR. The decreased levels of hBD1-3 may increase their susceptibility to respiratory tract infections and exacerbations in the tonsils of these patients. | 501–503 |