The Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Preterm Birth |
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| Authors: | Ga-Hyun Son Jae-Jun Lee Youngmi Kim Keun-Young Lee |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hallym University College of Medicine, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul 07441, Korea;2.Institute of New Frontier Research Team, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24523, Korea; (J.-J.L.); (Y.K.);3.Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24523, Korea |
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| Abstract: | Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short cationic amphipathic peptides with a wide range of antimicrobial properties and play an important role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis by modulating immune responses in the reproductive tract. As intra-amniotic infection and microbial dysbiosis emerge as common causes of preterm births (PTBs), a better understanding of the AMPs involved in the development of PTB is essential. The altered expression of AMPs has been reported in PTB-related clinical presentations, such as preterm labor, intra-amniotic infection/inflammation, premature rupture of membranes, and cervical insufficiency. Moreover, it was previously reported that dysregulation of AMPs may affect the pregnancy prognosis. This review aims to describe the expression of AMPs associated with PTBs and to provide new perspectives on the role of AMPs in PTB. |
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| Keywords: | antimicrobial peptides preterm birth defensin innate immunity |
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