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Updated: Sep 2, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
[The human beta-defensins expression in female genital tract and pregnancy-related tissues]
Yan Feng1, Xiaoling Pan, Ning Huang
1Research Unit of Infection and Immunity, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Objective:
Human beta-defensins (HBDs) are small, cationic endogenous antimicrobial peptides isolated from the hemodialates of patients with chronic renal failure (HBD-1) and Psoriasic skin (HBD-2). They may play an important role in mucosal innate host defense against infections. In this study, we examined their mRNAs expression in normal and pregnant women genital tract.
Methods:
Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed in the detection of HBD-1 and HBD-2 mRNA expression in the samples from normal and pregnant women genital tract. beta-actin was taken as positive control.
Results:
RT-PCR detection revealed that HBD-1 mRNA expressed in all samples of normal women taken from vagina, cervix, endometrium, fallopian tube, and ovary, and HBD-2 mRNA widely expressed in genital tract except vagina and ovary. In pregnant women, HBD-1 mRNA widely expressed in chorion, villus, placenta, and umbilical cord, but not in amnion, and HBD-2 mRNA were detected in chorion, villus and placenta tissues.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study on the wide expression of HBD-1 and HBD-2 in both the normal and the pregnant women genital tract suggest that HBDs may play an important role in human genital tract defense mechanisms.
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