A patient with cystic fibrosis exhibits abnormally thick sebum production affecting their skin's antimicrobial defense. Which mechanism best explains why their skin becomes more susceptible to bacterial infections?

💡 Explanation

Cystic fibrosis affects the transport of chloride ions across cell membranes, which impairs lipid transport within sebum. This leads to reduced delivery of antimicrobial peptides like defensins to the skin surface, because the transport mechanism is compromised, therefore, the skin's defense against bacteria weakens, rather than an alternative melanocyte, collagen, or keratin-related defense change.

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