In contrast to the strong hBD3 staining in the cervical cancer tissues, hBD3 was not detectable in three cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa, CaSki and SiHa) using an antibody that reliably recognized the exogenous hBD3 either by western blot or immunofluoresence (Figure 2E–2F and Supplementary Figure S1), although the hBD3 mRNA levels were elevated in three cell lines versus the normal human cervical tissue (Figure 1C). Here, DEFB103A is linked to cervical carcinoma.