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Test-Category
ELISA
Pack size
96 Tests
Standard concentrations included in the kit
0.1-3 ng/ml
Possible sample matrix and volumes
| Stool | 15 mg |
Incubation periods
Indications
Regulatory Status
The beta-defensins are an integral part of the congenital immune system and contribute with their antimicrobial effect to the barrier function of the intestinal epithelial cells.
Defensins exert a variable degree of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and some enveloped viruses. Vertebrate defensins are classified as a- or beta-defensins, based on their pattern of disulfide bridges. Nine human defensins of epithelial origin have been found, three of them being beta-defensins (HBD-1, -2 and -3).
The expression of beta-Defensins are induced by the pro-inflammatory cytokines and also through microorganisms (e.g. E. coli, H. pylori or P. aeruginosa).
A decreased ß-defensin-2 expression can, for example, be observed in the intestinal epithelial cells of patients with Crohn's disease. The defense system of the mucous membrane is therefore restricted and allows an increased invasion of bacteria, which could possibly lead to a typical infection in Crohn's disease patients.
Whether the decreased beta-defensin-2 expression could even play a role in the development of Crohn's disease is currently being researched. As is the possibility that it is the probiotic bacterium, which induces beta-defensin expression.
