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Previous Volume 348:361-363 January 23, 2003 Number 4 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text PDF PDA Full Text Purchase this article Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear Related Article by Zasloff, M. Related Article by Ong, P. Y. PubMed Citation

To the Editor: Ong et al. (Oct. 10 issue)¹ described a lack of induction of human -defensin 2 (HBD-2) and the cathelicidin LL-37 in atopic skin disease as compared with psoriasis, yielding a plausible explanation for the superinfection by gram-positive strains seen in neurodermatitis. In the accompanying editorial,² Zasloff asks whether other disorders may also be related to a defensin deficiency; Crohn's disease, in contrast to ulcerative colitis, may be due to deficient induction of HBD-2.^3,4

Several arguments suggest that there is a deficiency of the mucosal antibacterial barrier in Crohn's disease. Adherent strains of Escherichia coli are frequently encountered . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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