Immunomagnetic recovery of human neutrophil defensins from the human gingival crevice

The human neutrophilic protein defensins are cationic, antimicrobial, cytot oxic, corticostatic chemotactic, opsonic peptides found in azurophilic gran ules and constitute about 5% of the total protein in human neutrophils. In the present study, defensins were recovered from the human gingival crevice using paramagnetic microspheres (beads), coated with anti-defensin antibod ies. The bead-bound defensins were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosor bent assay developed in this laboratory. Twenty sites were sampled; defensi n was found in 100% of the sites and ranged in amount from 270-2000 ng/site . The large local concentrations of defensins, estimated in the mg/ml range , may have major effects on the microbiology of the gingival crevice.