Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Human β-defensin plays an important role in the innate immune of the skin. Because of its broad spectrum antibiotic activity, human β-defensin has become one of the hotspots in the clinical anti-inflammation research.  
OBJECTIVE: To show the inducible expression of human β-defensin and Toll-like receptor in human skin keratinocytes by graded concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). 
METHODS: Healthy foreskin tissue samples were obtained from eight patients aged less than 30 years undergoing prepucectomy. Cultured primary human skin keratinocytes from the foreskin were stimulated with graded concentrations of TNF-α (10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μg/L). Real-time PCR was performed to quantify mRNA expression of β-defensin 1, 2, 3 and Toll-like receptor 2, 4 from the stimulated cells.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, the expressions of β-defensin 1, 2, 3 and Toll-like receptor 2, 4 in keratinocytes induced by TNF-α were up-regulated apparently and the strongest inducible effect was at the concentration of 150 μg/L (P < 0.05) and down-regulated again at the concentration of 200 μg/L, presenting a dose-dependent manner. Skin keratinocytes showed a marked inductive capacity to produce human β-defensin 1, 2, 3 and Toll-like receptor 2, 4 in response to TNF-α.