The only human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, playing key roles in innate immune defense, wound healing, and modulation of inflammatory responses.
LL-37/hCAP-18, as the only human cathelicidin, plays an important role in inflammation. Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is an important bacterial component of Staphylococcus aureus, which is one of the common human pathogens for severe respiratory infection…
BACKGROUND: The cause of follicular occlusion, a key early event in the pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To identify changes, if any, in the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) and cyto…
BACKGROUND: Transcription of the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) gene is induced by binding of the bioactive form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, to the vitamin D receptor. Significant levels of the protein hCAP18/LL-37 are found in…
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is an important cause of diarrhea in humans and cattle, and it can persistently infect immunocompromised hosts. No consistently effective parasite-specific pharmaceuticals or immunotherapies for contro…
The oomycete Saprolegnia parasitica causes significant losses in the aquaculture industry, mainly affecting salmon, trout and catfish. Since the ban of malachite green, effective control measures are currently not available prompting a re-evaluation…
The production of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide is strongly increased in rosacea. Cathelicidin activates innate immunity, inflammation and angiogenesis. Cutaneous proteases produce inflammatory fragments of cathelicidin. UV-B irradiation and…
UNLABELLED: The serum level of the human cathelicidin-LL37, an immunomodulatory vitamin D-induced peptide was less studied in viral hepatitis. The aim of this study was to analyse the cathelicidin-LL37 and vitamin D serum level in hepatitis B virus (…
Innate immunity is currently under scope of interest concerning its role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Antimicrobial peptides constitute a potent part of this fast response system. Here, we focus on the role of a…
BACKGROUND: Acne inversa is a chronic, suppurative relapsing inflammatory skin disease that primarily affects the axillae, perineum and inframammary regions. Evidence suggests that the innate immune system is involved in the pathogenesis of acne inve…
Vitamin D is an important regulator of the expression of antimicrobial peptides, and vitamin D deficiency is associated with respiratory infections. Regulating expression of antimicrobial peptides, such as the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide…
The bacterial pathogen Group A Streptococcus (GAS) colonizes epithelial and mucosal surfaces and can cause a broad spectrum of human disease. Through the secreted plasminogen activator streptokinase (Ska), GAS activates human plasminogen into plasmin…
Canadian First Nations (FN) population experiences a high burden of tuberculosis. Vitamin D is known to enhance the expression of innate immune effectors, including cathelicidin LL-37, for protection against infections. In this study we performed lon…
BACKGROUND: Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) complicated by microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) leading to histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) significantly impacts perinatal morbidity. Unfortunately, no well-established too…
BACKGROUND: Although numerous genetic studies have been performed, only 0.9% of blood pressure phenotypic variance has been elucidated. This phenomenon could be partially due to epistatic interactions. Our aim was to identify epistatic interaction(s)…
Cathelicidin LL-37 is a multifunctional immunomodulatory and antimicrobial host defense peptide that has an important role in the immune defenses of the skin and other epithelial barriers. We have previously demonstrated that at physiological concent…
Epidermal keratinocytes produce and secrete antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that subsequently form a chemical shield on the skin surface. Cathelicidins are one family of AMPs in skin with various further immune functions. Consequently, dysfunction of t…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been considered alternatives to conventional antibiotics for drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, their comparatively high toxicity toward eukaryotic cells and poor efficacy in vivo hamper their clinical ap…
BACKGROUND: Skin lesions with atopic dermatitis (AD) are associated with dysregulated expression of LL-37 and enhanced expression of IL-22, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), IL-25, IL-31, and oncostatin M. Vitamin D3 enhances LL-37 production in k…
The active form of vitamin D, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)], binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and regulates various physiological and pharmacological processes. Secondary bile acids, such as lithocholic acid (LCA), also act as en…