The Levels of the Human-β-Defensin-2 and LL-37 in the Sputum of Children with Cystic Fibrosis: A Case–control Study and Literature Review

Oksana Ishchenko; Irina Koshevaya; Irina Zhernosekova; Vira Garets; Dmytro Stepanskyi

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2022.10835

Authors

Oksana Ishchenko Department of Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, and Epidemiology, Dnipro State Medical University, Dnipro, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7677-5062
Irina Koshevaya Department of Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, and Epidemiology, Dnipro State Medical University, Dnipro, Ukraine
Irina Zhernosekova Department of Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, and Epidemiology, Dnipro State Medical University, Dnipro, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6516-715X
Vira Garets Department of Fundamental Disciplines with a Course of Traditional and Non-Traditional Medicine, Dnipro Medical Institute of Traditional and Non-traditional Medicine, Dnipro, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-1736
Dmytro Stepanskyi Department of Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, and Epidemiology, Dnipro State Medical University, Dnipro, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6350-8176

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2022.10835

Keywords:

Antimicrobial peptides, Cathelicidin LL-37, Defensins, Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder with an autosomal-recessive type of inheritance. Based on their host-defending and pro-inflammatory functions, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) likely have one of the central roles in the pathogenesis of lung disease in CF.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to measure the concentration of AMPs in the sputum of children with CF and evaluate any correlation with a bacterial profile of the lungs.

METHODS: Lung colonization was evaluated using a culture-dependent method, sputum was utilized. A sandwich-ELISA was used to measure hBD-2 and hCAP-18/LL-37 in the sputum.

RESULTS: There were 27 children enrolled in the study group, median age of inclusion was 11.4 (8.5; 14.8) years old. The control group consisted of 14 children, 11.6 (8.6; 12.6) years old. The concentration of AMPs was not correlating with participants` age (rs = −0.286, p = 0.148 – defensin hDB-2; rs = −0.084, p = 0.676 – cathelicidin hCAP-18/LL-37). The concentration of hBD-2 was from 64.01 to 813.61 pg/mL. The concentration of hCAP-18/LL-37 was from 3.24 to 35.98 ng/mL. There were significant differences in the content of AMPs on respiratory samples between study and control group (U = 976.5, p = 0.001 – for hBD-2; U = 1080.5, p < 0.001). The correlation between current infection Pseudomonas aeruginosa and concentration of hBD-2 (rs = 0.167; p = 0.406) was not found. However, the presence of P. aeruginosa correlated with density of neutrophilic infiltration (rs = 0.622; p = 0.001). The concentration of hBD-2 showed direct medium correlation with total cells count (rs = 0.881, p < 0.001). Correlation between current infection P. aeruginosa and concentration of hCAP-18/LL-37 (rs = 0.788; p < 0.001) was observed. With increases in total cell count and relative neutrophils count, the concentration of hCAP-18/LL-37 was increased and the power of the association was medium (rs = 0.453; p = 0,018; rs = 0,592; p = 0,001). The correlation between concentrations of hBD-2 and hCAP-18/LL-37 (rs = 0.316, p > 0.1) was not found.

CONCLUSIONS: Measured AMPs correlated with cellular inflammatory markers and, probably, their overexpression is dedicated to stimulating a cellular component of innate immune response; there was no correlation between bacterial colonization of lungs and levels of hBD-2, so our findings sustain that P. aeruginosa is a leading but non-single contributor to persistent local inflammation in polymicrobial lungs.

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