This observation is consistent with prior studies concerning the involvement of hBD-1 in the carcinogenesis of epithelial tumours of the urogenital tract: Refering to healthy epithelium showing an intact hBD-1 gene expression, there was a cancer-specific loss of hBD-1 gene expression in 90% of renal clear cell carcinomas and 82% of malignant prostate cancers [16,17]. This evidence concerns the gene DEFB1 and clear cell renal carcinoma.