Human defensin 5 is stored in precursor form in normal Paneth cells and is expressed by some villous epithelial cells and by metaplastic Paneth cells in the colon in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

(i) HD-5 is present only in the precursor form in normal terminal ileal Paneth cells and is processed to the mature form during and/or after secretion, (ii) some villous epithelial cells express HD-5, and (iii) HD-5 is expressed by metaplastic Paneth cells in the colon in IBD.