Defensins
Chapter: 2
A family of abundant, modestly potent cationic proteins that is found in the primary granules of neutrophils and in the lysosomes of some mononuclear phagocytes. In addition to being bactericidal, defensins can kill fungi and viruses. One of these proteins is chemotactic for monocytes, suggesting that its release may be a way in which neutrophils, also the first cells to reach a site of inflammation, help to attract the "second wave" of leukocytes, i.e., mononuclear phagocytes.