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The objective of this study was to understand more of the innate immune response to Helicobacter pylori by determining the expression of human â-defensin-2 (hBD-2) in various gastric mucosal tissues and MKN45 gastric cancer cells with or without H. pylori. Semi-quantitative TaqMan RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were carried out. The antimicrobial effects of a transfected hBD-2 gene against H. pylori were also evaluated. The results showed that hBD-2 was expressed in inflamed gastric mucosal tissues with H. pylori infection, but not in the absence of H. pylori infection. Expression was also detected in gastric cancers in patients with H. pylori infection. Expression was induced in the MKN45 gastric cancer cell line by H. pylori in a manner dependent on the abundance of bacteria. hBD-2-transfected 3T3J2-1 cells secreted hBD-2 protein into the culture medium and this protein inhibited growth of H. pylori completely. The results suggest that hBD-2 may be involved in the pathophysiology of H. pylori-induced gastritis.

Keloids are benign dermal fibrotic tumors arising during the wound healing process. The mechanisms of keloid formation and development still remain unknown, and no effective treatment is available. Resveratrol, a dietary compound, has anticancer properties and, from recent studies, it has been suggested that resveratrol may have an antifibrogenic effect on organs such as the liver and kidney. Based on this idea, we investigated its effect on the regulation of extracellular matrix expression, proliferation, and apoptosis of keloid fibroblasts. Type I collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, and heat shock protein 47 expression decreased in resveratrol-treated keloid fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, resveratrol diminished transforming growth factor-β1 production by keloid fibroblasts. We also demonstrated that it suppressed their proliferation and induced apoptosis of the fibroblasts. Conversely, resveratrol did not decrease type I collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, and heat shock protein 47 mRNA expression in normal skin fibroblasts and barely suppressed cell proliferation. Our data indicate that resveratrol may have an antifibrogenic effect on keloid fibroblasts without any adversely effects on normal skin fibroblasts, suggesting the potential application of resveratrol for the treatment of keloids.

Primary mucinous carcinoma of the skin is a slow-growing tumor with a high recurrence rate. To improve the recognition of the clinical entity, two cases of this tumor were reported and were investigated histopathologically and histochemically. Both patients showed no evidence of metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma int he breast or gastrointestinal tract. This tumor should be resected with wide margins. MRI is very helpful to plan the surgical margin.

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