Potential effectiveness of sweat antimicrobial polypeptides against staphylococci

Arzumanian V.G., Dzhadaeva A.V., Zaborova V.A., Kolyganova T.I., Sergeeva M.A.

Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow
Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology, Moscow
First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov, Moscow
Central Research Dermatology Clinic, Moscow

The first-line immune defense of the human skin is represented by antimicrobial polypeptides (AMP) secreted onto its surface. This review presents data on the levels of currently known AMP in human sweat in comparison with the values of their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against staphylococci. Based on the completed analysis, all described AMP can be divided into 4 groups. The first group includes AMP secreted into sweat in concentrations comparable to MIC values – these are dermcidins, calprotectin, lipocalin and azurocidin. The second group consists of sweat AMP, secreted in levels one order of magnitude lower than the corresponding MIC values – these are cathelicidin and adrenomedullin. The third group is comprised of AMP secreted into sweat in concentrations 2 or more orders of magnitude lower than MIC values, namely defensins, serum albumin, lactoferrin, secretory leukoprotease inhibitor and psoriazin. Subsequently, the fourth group includes AMP that could not be classified in the aforementioned three groups due to lacking data on their presence in sweat. Clearly it is the first two groups of AMP, specifically, dermcidins, that form the main line skin surface defense from microorganisms, in particular, from staphylococci.