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Increased expression of human beta-defensin 3 in mollusca contagiosum
U Meyer-Hoffert1, T Schwarz, J M Schröder
1Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany. umeyerhoffert@dermatology.uni-kiel.de
Abstract:
The human beta defensins (hBDs)-2 and -3 are inducible antimicrobial peptides present in human skin. Besides an important role in fighting bacteria, they also have an antiviral function. Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a cutaneous viral disease caused by the MC virus. Lesions show a tendency towards spontaneous regression, which might be caused by antiviral proteins such as defensins. We report a marked increase in hBD-3 immunoreactivity in MC lesions in contrast to hBD-2, which was only marginally increased. We suggest a role for the hBD-3 peptide in MC pathogenesis.
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