Expression of human β-defensin-3 in gingival epithelia

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the expression patterns of the newly discovered human β‐defensin‐3 (hBD‐3) in human gingiva. Background: Human β‐defensins (hBDs) are a group of small, broad‐spectrum, cationic antimicrobial peptides. Our recent study showed that the expression levels of hBD‐1 and 2 peptides were associated with periodontal conditions. Methods: A total of 49 gingival biopsies were collected, including 33 samples from 21 patients with chronic periodontitis and 16 samples from 16 periodontally healthy subjects. The expression of hBD‐3 was detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Double staining was undertaken to identify hBD‐3 peptide‐positive cells, using CD‐1a and cytokeratin 20 as markers for Langerhans cells and Merkel cells, respectively. Results: hBD‐3 peptide was detected in 88% of the samples, which was confined to the gingival epithelia. In healthy control subjects, hBD‐3 peptide was more frequently detected in the basal layer as compared to the patients (53% vs. 18%, p