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  3. Focus on the role of antimicrobial peptides
Gastroenterology

Focus on the role of antimicrobial peptides

IBD
Gastroenterology

Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are small multifunctional peptides present in the animal and plant kingdoms that protect the host against attacks from pathogenic microorganisms. Among them are defensins, thus called because they act as host defense peptides.

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Antimicrobial peptides, illustration.

About this article

Created 17 September 2019
Updated 12 October 2021

Defensins play a major role in innate immunity. Ten defensins have been identified in humans: six α-defensins that are mainly secreted by Paneth cells, neutrophils and some populations of small intestine macrophages; and four β-defensins that are secreted by epithelial cells.5

Mechanisms of action

Mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides are variable:8 some puncture bacterial membranes and cause ion and nutrient efflux, loss of structure, or even bacterial lysis; other “bind” to bacteria and limit they passage through the gut epithelium without killing them; in other words, they reduce pathogen colonization and change the composition and density of bacterial communities in the intestinal lumen.

Crohn's disease and decrease in defensins

When CD affects the ileum, the production of some α-defensins decreases, which reduces antibacterial activity and promotes pathogenic bacteria penetration5. Among possible explanations there is NOD2 gene mutation, involved in the recognition of bacterial surface and onset of defensin production; and impaired signaling pathways, whose dysregulation is involved in the development of many human cancers. Some researchers believe that the decrease in α defensin content is not the cause but the consequence of inflammation.4 In colonic CD, only β-defensin rates are disrupted5: increase in secretion of β-defensin type 2 and decrease in type 1. Some scientists believe that the smaller number of copies of the gene located on chromosome 8 in affected patients (3 instead of 4) is at fault.

Sources

12 Somineni HK, Kugathasan S. The Microbiome in Patients With Inflammatory Diseases. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019;17(2):243-255.

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Dysbiosis Ulcerative Colitis IBD Gut health Crohn's disease

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    Focus
    Chronical inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)
    • Dysbiosis in IBD
      • A bacterial dysbiosis characteristic of IBD
      • Each IBD has its own virome
      • Association between fungal dysbiosis and environment
    • Pathophysiology of dysbiosis
      • Role of the intestinal epithelium and the innate immune response
      • Focus on the role of antimicrobial peptides
    • What role could microbiota modulation play?
      • Fecal microbiota transplant: mixed results
      • Use of probiotics
    • Expert opinion
      • Pr. Philippe Seksik: Towards an innovative management of IBD
    Created 17 September 2019
    Updated 12 October 2021

    About this article

    To know more about this topic.

    Main topic

    IBD

    Medical practice

    Gastroenterology

    Content type

    Dossier detail
    Role of the intestinal epithelium and the innate immune response
    Fecal microbiota transplant: mixed results
    Focus

    Chronical inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)

    Dysbiosis in IBD

    A bacterial dysbiosis characteristic of IBD Each IBD has its own virome Association between fungal dysbiosis and environment

    Pathophysiology of dysbiosis

    Role of the intestinal epithelium and the innate immune response Focus on the role of antimicrobial peptides

    What role could microbiota modulation play?

    Fecal microbiota transplant: mixed results Use of probiotics

    Expert opinion

    Pr. Philippe Seksik: Towards an innovative management of IBD
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