Microarray analysis, qPCR and immunohistochemistry showed a10-fold induction of beta-defensin 2 (BD2) when rhesus macaques were infected with a cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) containing Helicobacter pylori strain. These data implied that perhaps the induction of BD2 caused by the H. pylori cagPAI positive strain allowed for a competitive advantage over gastric biota and even H. pylori cagPAI negative strains. To further interrogate the antimicrobial properties of human and rhesus BD2 against H. pylori strains three independent assays were developed. Further optimization is needed for both the cytochrome c and electron microscopy assays, but through the antimicrobial assay it was determined that several H. pylori strains have variation in their resistance profiles to human or rhesus BD2. Additionally, individual strains of H. pylori may or may not act similarly in survivability when treated with human versus rhesus BD2 suggesting that there may be differences in activity properties between the rhesus peptides.