Defensin gene variation and HIV/AIDS: a comprehensive perspective needed

[摘要] Bothα‐andβ‐defensinshaveanti–humanimmunodeficiencyvirusactivity.Thesedefensinsachievehumanimmunodeficiencyvirusinhibitionthroughavarietyofmechanisms,includingdirectbindingwithvirions,bindingtoandmodulationofhostcell‐surfacereceptorswithdisruptionofintracellularsignaling,andfunctioningaschemokinesorcytokinestoaugmentandalteradaptiveimmuneresponses.Polymorphismsinthedefensingeneshavebeenassociatedwithsusceptibilitytohumanimmunodeficiencyvirusinfectionanddiseaseprogression.However,therolesthatthesedefensinsandtheirgeneticpolymorphismshaveininfluencinghumanimmunodeficiencyvirus/acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndromeoutcomesarenotstraightforwardand,attimes,appearcontradictory.Differencesinpopulations,studydesigns,andtechniquesforgenotypingdefensingenepolymorphismsmayhavecontributedtothislackofclarity.Inaddition,acomprehensiveapproach,wherebothsubfamiliesofdefensinsandtheirall‐inclusivegeneticpolymorphismprofilesareanalyzed,islacking.Suchanapproachmayrevealwhetherthehumanimmunodeficiencyvirusinhibitoryactivitiesofα‐andβ‐defensinsarebasedonparallelordivergentmechanismsandmayprovidefurtherinsightsintohowthegeneticpredispositionforsusceptibilityorresistancetohumanimmunodeficiencyvirus/acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndromeisorchestratedbetweenthesemolecules...

[学科分类] 生理学

[关键词] α‐defensins;β‐defensins;copy number variation