DEFA5 and inflammatory bowel disease: To address the IBD diagnosis dilemma in clinical settings, there are published data that have shown robust evidence supporting the presence of human alpha defensin 5 (DEFA5, alias HD5) in the colon crypt mucosa with aberrant expression of Paneth cell-like cells (PCLCs) and apparent crypt-cell-like cells (CCLCs) in areas identified with an ectopic colonic ileal metaplasia that is consistent with the diagnosis of CC [11,71].