Host defense peptide | Pathogen directed activity | Immunomodulatory function | Site of expression |
---|---|---|---|
Human cathelicidin (cationic, α-helical structure) |  |  |  |
hCAP18/LL-37 | Escherichia coli; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus; Enterococcus faecalis; group A, B, and C Streptococcus; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Listeria monocytogenes; Salmonella typhimurium; Proteus vulgars; Proteus mirabilis; Burkholderia cepacia; Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans; Capnocytophaga spp; Candida albicans; HIV-1 | Broad antimicrobial activity, antiviral and antifungal activity, endotoxin-binding properties, modulation of pro-inflammatory response, chemotactic, influence of cell proliferation and differentiation, promotion of wound healing and angiogenesis, induction of gene expression, induction of adaptive immunity | Neutrophils, keratinocytes, epithelial cells of the skin and testis, gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, mast cells, monocytes/macrophages, CD4+ cells, myelocytes, wound and blister fluid, airway fluid, seminal fluid, cervix, vagina, esophagus, mouth, tongue |
Human β-defensins (cationic, disulfide bridges, β-sheet structure) |  |  |  |
hBD-1 | Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Staphylococcus aureus | Broad antimicrobial activity; antiviral and antifungal activity; chemotactic; induction of chemokines and cytokines; recruitment of immune cells; induction of adaptive immunity and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-8, -18, and -20; degranulation of mast cells; promotion of phagocytosis; induction of dendritic cell maturation by TLR-4; LPS and LTS binding properties; inhibition of TNF-α production; induction of matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP); inhibition of MMP-inhibitors (TIMP-1/-2) | CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; dendritic cells; epithelial cells of skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tract; trachea; uterus; pancreas; kidney; lung; prostate; placenta; thymus; testis; vagina; gingival intestine; conjunctiva; cornea; lachrymal and buccal mucosa; tongue; salivary gland; mammary glands; limb joints; astrocytes; microglia |
hBD-2 | Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Staphylococcus aureus. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida crusei, HIV-1 | Â | mast cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; dendritic cells; skin; oral, pulmonal, and gastric epithelia; conjunctiva; cornea; astrocytes |
hBD-3 | Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus carnosus. Streptococcus pyogenes. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Burkholderia cepacia, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida crusei, HIV-1 | Â | Monocytes; CD4+ T cells; oral, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, and skin epithelial cells; uterus; placenta; testis; esophagus; heart; neutrophils; trachea; skeletal muscle; tongue; kidney; liver; gastrointestinal tract; pharynx; tonsils; salivary glands |