Endogenous antimicrobial peptides and skin infections in atopic dermatitis.

Ong PY, Ohtake T, Brandt C, Strickland I, Boguniewicz M, Ganz T, Gallo RL, Leung DY

The New England journal of medicine1 Oct 2002Cited by 1,359 (Europe PMC)

PMID12374875DOI10.1056/nejmoa021481PepBankPUB-12374875

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Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study6

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Natural levels measured5

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

01HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In acute skin lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis, immunostaining for the body's own LL‑37 was significantly lower than in psoriatic lesions.
In plain wordsIn acute atopic dermatitis skin lesions, the body's own LL‑37 was lower than in psoriasis lesions.
Peptide
LL-37
Outcome
DecreaseLL-37 immunostaining in acute atopic dermatitis lesions
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Psoriatic lesions
Outcome group
Infection and antimicrobial activity · Skin and wound
Measurements
P value
0.006
acute lesions
Source sentences
Summary
immunostaining for these peptides was significantly decreased in acute and chronic lesions from patients with atopic dermatitis (P=0.006 and P=0.03, respectively).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The expression of LL-37 and HBD-2 protein in skin-biopsy specimens from patients with psoriasis, patients with atopic dermatitis, and normal subjects was determined by immunohistochemical analysis.
This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1237487501
02HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In chronic skin lesions of patients with atopic dermatitis, immunostaining for the body's own LL‑37 was significantly lower than in psoriatic lesions.
In plain wordsIn chronic atopic dermatitis skin lesions, the body's own LL‑37 was lower than in psoriasis lesions.
Peptide
LL-37
Outcome
DecreaseLL-37 immunostaining in chronic atopic dermatitis lesions
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Psoriatic lesions
Outcome group
Infection and antimicrobial activity · Skin and wound
Measurements
P value
0.03
chronic lesions
Source sentences
Summary
immunostaining for these peptides was significantly decreased in acute and chronic lesions from patients with atopic dermatitis (P=0.006 and P=0.03, respectively).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The expression of LL-37 and HBD-2 protein in skin-biopsy specimens from patients with psoriasis, patients with atopic dermatitis, and normal subjects was determined by immunohistochemical analysis.
This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1237487502
03HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
Immunodot blot analysis of skin extracts confirmed lower LL‑37 protein in atopic dermatitis lesions than in psoriatic lesions.
In plain wordsSkin extract tests confirmed that the body's own LL‑37 was lower in atopic dermatitis than in psoriasis.
Peptide
LL-37
Outcome
DecreaseLL-37 protein in skin extracts (immunodot blot)
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Psoriatic lesions
Outcome group
Infection and antimicrobial activity · Skin and wound
Source sentences
Summary
In comparison, immunostaining for these peptides was significantly decreased in acute and chronic lesions from patients with atopic dermatitis (P=0.006 and P=0.03, respectively). These results were confirmed by immunodot blot and Western blot analyses.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The expression of LL-37 and HBD-2 protein in skin-biopsy specimens from patients with psoriasis, patients with atopic dermatitis, and normal subjects was determined by immunohistochemical analysis.
This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1237487503
04HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
Real-time RT-PCR showed significantly lower LL‑37 mRNA expression in atopic dermatitis lesions than in psoriatic lesions.
In plain wordsAtopic dermatitis lesions had lower mRNA for the body's own LL‑37 than psoriasis lesions.
Peptide
LL-37
Outcome
DecreaseLL-37 mRNA expression in atopic lesions
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Psoriatic lesions
Outcome group
Infection and antimicrobial activity · Skin and wound
Measurements
P value
0.02
LL-37 mRNA
Source sentences
Summary
Real-time RT-PCR showed significantly lower expression of HBD-2 mRNA and LL-37 mRNA in atopic lesions than in psoriatic lesions (P=0.009 and P=0.02, respectively).
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The expression of LL-37 and HBD-2 protein in skin-biopsy specimens from patients with psoriasis, patients with atopic dermatitis, and normal subjects was determined by immunohistochemical analysis.
This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1237487504
05HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther
In patients with psoriasis, immunohistochemical analysis showed abundant body's own LL‑37 in the superficial epidermis of all patients.
In plain wordsIn people with psoriasis, the body's own LL‑37 was abundant in the top layer of skin in all patients.
Peptide
LL-37
Outcome
Not applicableLL-37 immunostaining in psoriatic lesions
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Infection and antimicrobial activity · Skin and wound
Source sentences
Summary
Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the presence of abundant LL-37 and HBD-2 in the superficial epidermis of all patients with psoriasis.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
The expression of LL-37 and HBD-2 protein in skin-biopsy specimens from patients with psoriasis, patients with atopic dermatitis, and normal subjects was determined by immunohistochemical analysis.
This result measures the body's own LL-37. Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.
Report a problemFND-1237487506

Studies that did not test the peptide alone1

In this study, LL-37 was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking LL-37.

06LabNot a test of LL-37 aloneIn vitro (cells)Activity measurement
In a colony-forming assay, the combination of LL‑37 and HBD-2 showed synergistic killing of S. aureus; no LL‑37-alone contrast is reported.
In plain wordsIn lab tests, LL‑37 and HBD-2 together killed S. aureus in a synergistic way.
Peptide
LL-37
Outcome
IncreaseAntimicrobial activity of LL-37 combined with HBD-2 against S. aureus
Study
n: not reported in source
S. aureus colony-forming assay
Outcome group
Infection and antimicrobial activity · Infection
Source sentences
Summary
The combination of LL-37 and HBD-2 showed synergistic antimicrobial activity by effectively killing S. aureus.
In this study, LL-37 was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking LL-37.
Report a problemFND-1237487505

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 3Current
11 Oct 2026, 00:50 UTC
Study results updated
Version 2
9 Oct 2026, 03:03 UTC
Study data updated · source update from Europe PMC
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 02:59 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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