The palatine tonsils have an undoubted role in the immune defence system. After
antigen contact an effective adaptive immune response by B- and T-cell lymphocytes will be released. In addition the palatine tonsils seem to exert influence to the defence by the innate immune system. Therefore, we studied the ability of palatine tonsils to express different alpha and
beta defensins and to find out any distinctions in chronic inflamed tonsils. Total
RNA of 49 specimens of hyperplastic tonsils and chronic
tonsillitis with pathological provided evidence of Actinomyces israelii was isolated using
TRIzol protocol, reverse transcribed and the
HNP-1,
HNP-4, HBD-1 and HBD-2 gene expression densitometric determined, standardised in relation to glycerinaldehyd-3-phosphatdehydrogenase gene expression, after a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed.
mRNA of
HNP-1,
HNP-4, HBD-1 and HBD-2 was detected in tissue samples, but their amount differed within the two
defensin families and tissue of origins. HBD-1 was detected in all 49 tissues of hyperplastic tonsils and chronic
tonsillitis. Only in chronic inflamed tonsils the amount of HBD-2
mRNA expression was significant increased. In these specimens also mean relative expression rate of all
defensins was observed to be manifestly increased. Palatine tonsils express
mRNA for different alpha and
beta defensins and this expression suggest a newly supposed function in immune defence: the participation in the innate, non-adaptive immune system. Thus, palatine tonsils have a potentially influence in the growth and control of the physiological mouth bacteria by their bactericidal activity.