Table 2.
Seasonal variation in defensin expression
| Months | n | HD5* | HD6* | VH | CD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan, Feb | 7 | 8.1 (8.0-8.2) | 8.4 (7.9-8.4) | 202 (176-215) | 157 (130-191) |
| Mar, Apr | 35 | 6.2 (5.3-6.9) | 6.3 (5.6-6.7) | 258 (234-304) | 164 (140-193) |
| May, Jun | 70 | 5.9 (5.0-7.2) | 6.2 (5.2-7.4) | 254 (231-302) | 156 (132-172) |
| Sep, Oct | 45 | 6.5 (5.6-7.0) | 6.4 (5.6-7.0) | 230 (218-258) | 152 (138-168) |
| Nov, Dec | 12 | 6.2 (4.0-6.9) | 6.2 (5.7-6.7) | 217 (194-262) | 149 (134-173) |
| P | 0.001 | 0.002 | 0.0001 | 0.59 | |
*
Values given are median (interquartile range) of the mRNA (log10 transcripts/μg total RNA) of all the biopsies taken during those months during the entire 2 year study period. Villous height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) are expressed in μm. P values refer to results of the Kruskal-Wallis test across all groups. No sampling was performed in July or August. Rainfall occurs during November – March with peak rainfall in January when mRNA was at its highest.