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The human cationic antimicrobial protein (hCAP-18) is expressed in the epithelium of human epididymis, is present in seminal plasma at high concentrations, and is attached to spermatozoa

Malm, Johan LU ; Sörensen, Ole LU ; Persson, Terese ; Frohm-Nilsson, M ; Johansson, Bengt ; Bjartell, Anders LU ; Lilja, H ; Stahle-Backdahl, Mona ; Borregaard, Niels and Egesten, Arne LU (2000) In Infection and Immunity 68(7). p.4297-4302
Abstract
Innate immunity is important for the integrity of the host against potentially invasive pathogenic microorganisms in the environment. Antibiotic peptides with broad antimicrobial activity are part of the innate immune system. We investigated the presence of the cathelicidin, human cationic antimicrobial protein (hCAP-18), in the male reproductive system. We found strong expression of the hCAP-18 gene by in situ hybridization and hCAP-18 protein, as detected by immunohistochemistry, in the epithelium of the epididymis, but not in the testis. The highest expression in the epididymis was in the caudal part. Western blotting showed a doublet band, the upper part corresponding to the size of hCAP-18 in plasma and neutrophils. Using a specific... (More)
Innate immunity is important for the integrity of the host against potentially invasive pathogenic microorganisms in the environment. Antibiotic peptides with broad antimicrobial activity are part of the innate immune system. We investigated the presence of the cathelicidin, human cationic antimicrobial protein (hCAP-18), in the male reproductive system. We found strong expression of the hCAP-18 gene by in situ hybridization and hCAP-18 protein, as detected by immunohistochemistry, in the epithelium of the epididymis, but not in the testis. The highest expression in the epididymis was in the caudal part. Western blotting showed a doublet band, the upper part corresponding to the size of hCAP-18 in plasma and neutrophils. Using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), levels of 86.5 +/- 37.8 microg/ml (mean +/- standard deviation; range, 41.8 to 142.8 microg/ml; n = 10) were detected in seminal plasma from healthy donors, which is 70-fold higher than the level in blood plasma. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of hCAP-18 on spermatozoa. ELISA measurement showed levels of 196 ng/10(6) spermatozoa, corresponding to 6.6 x 10(6) molecules of hCAP-18 per spermatozoon. Our results suggest a key role for hCAP-18 in the antibacterial integrity of the male reproductive system. The attachment of hCAP-18 to spermatozoa may implicate a role for hCAP-18 in conception. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Infection and Immunity
volume
68
issue
7
pages
4297 - 4302
publisher
American Society for Microbiology
external identifiers
  • wos:000087710200063
  • scopus:0033918174
  • pmid:10858248
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Clinical Microbiology, Malmö (013011000), Urology (013243400), Clinical Chemistry, Malmö (013016000), Respiratory Medicine and Allergology (013230111), Department of Translational Medicine (013017500)
id
601ee2a7-8dff-4605-90cf-4793d24e9869 (old id 1296807)
alternative location
http://iai.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/7/4297
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=101750
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:35:43
date last changed
2022-01-29 20:31:36
@article{601ee2a7-8dff-4605-90cf-4793d24e9869,
  abstract     = {{Innate immunity is important for the integrity of the host against potentially invasive pathogenic microorganisms in the environment. Antibiotic peptides with broad antimicrobial activity are part of the innate immune system. We investigated the presence of the cathelicidin, human cationic antimicrobial protein (hCAP-18), in the male reproductive system. We found strong expression of the hCAP-18 gene by in situ hybridization and hCAP-18 protein, as detected by immunohistochemistry, in the epithelium of the epididymis, but not in the testis. The highest expression in the epididymis was in the caudal part. Western blotting showed a doublet band, the upper part corresponding to the size of hCAP-18 in plasma and neutrophils. Using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), levels of 86.5 +/- 37.8 microg/ml (mean +/- standard deviation; range, 41.8 to 142.8 microg/ml; n = 10) were detected in seminal plasma from healthy donors, which is 70-fold higher than the level in blood plasma. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of hCAP-18 on spermatozoa. ELISA measurement showed levels of 196 ng/10(6) spermatozoa, corresponding to 6.6 x 10(6) molecules of hCAP-18 per spermatozoon. Our results suggest a key role for hCAP-18 in the antibacterial integrity of the male reproductive system. The attachment of hCAP-18 to spermatozoa may implicate a role for hCAP-18 in conception.}},
  author       = {{Malm, Johan and Sörensen, Ole and Persson, Terese and Frohm-Nilsson, M and Johansson, Bengt and Bjartell, Anders and Lilja, H and Stahle-Backdahl, Mona and Borregaard, Niels and Egesten, Arne}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{4297--4302}},
  publisher    = {{American Society for Microbiology}},
  series       = {{Infection and Immunity}},
  title        = {{The human cationic antimicrobial protein (hCAP-18) is expressed in the epithelium of human epididymis, is present in seminal plasma at high concentrations, and is attached to spermatozoa}},
  url          = {{http://iai.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/7/4297}},
  volume       = {{68}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}