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Abundant human beta-defensin-1 expression in milk and mammary gland epithelium
H P Jia1, T Starner, M Ackermann
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|January 10, 2001
Abstract:
Human beta-defensin-1 (HBD-1) was detected in breast milk in concentrations of approximately 1 to 10 microg/mL. Breast tissue during lactation showed HBD-1 expression in mammary gland epithelia and within luminal secretions. The peptide demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. HBD-1 may augment neonatal host defenses through antimicrobial effects or prime the adaptive immune system at mucosal surfaces.