Correlated expression of human beta defensin-1, -2 and -3 mRNAs in gingival tissues of young children

Objective: Human β-defensins (hBDs) are a group of antimicrobial peptides, expressed by the epithelial cells of many organs including gingival epithelium. The present study examined correlation between the gene expressions of hBD-1, -2, -3 mRNAs and the inflammatory cytokines in human gingival tissues. Study design: The gingival tissues were obtained from surgical discards from 20 different patients (age range, 5–13 years). The expression levels of mRNAs were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR with LightCycler™. The mRNA expression levels were normalized with those of keratin 10 mRNA. The data were statistically analysed using Person’s correlation coefficient. Results: The expression levels of hBD-1,-2 and -3 were significantly correlated with each other and also correlated with that of TNF-α. Conclusions: The results indicate that the expression levels of hBDs vary from one individual to another.