Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1986 Jun;41(6):435–441. doi: 10.1136/thx.41.6.435

Comparison of concentrations of two proteinase inhibitors, porcine pancreatic elastase inhibitory capacity, and cell profiles in sequential bronchoalveolar lavage samples.

H M Morrison, J A Kramps, J H Dijkman, R A Stockley
PMCID: PMC460360  PMID: 3491440

Abstract

Bronchoalveolar lavage is used to obtain cells and proteins from the lower respiratory tract for diagnosis and research. Uncertainity exists about which site in the lung is sampled by the lavage fluid and what effect different lavage volumes have on recovery of the constituents of lavage fluid. Dilution of alveolar lining fluid by lavage fluid is variable and results are usually expressed as protein ratios to surmount this problem. We have compared cell profiles and the concentrations of two proteinase inhibitors--the low molecular weight bronchial protease inhibitor antileucoprotease and alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor, together with alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor function and its relationship to the cell profile in sequential bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from patients undergoing bronchoscopy. There was no difference in total or differential cell counts or albumin or alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor concentrations between the first and second halves of the lavage. Both the concentration of antileucoprotease and the ratio of antileucoprotease to albumin were, however, lower in the second half of the lavage (2p less than 0.01 and 2p less than 0.05 respectively). There was no difference in the function of alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor (assessed by inhibition of porcine pancreatic elastase--PPE) between aliquots (0.28 mole PPE inhibited/mol alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor; range 0-1.19 for the first half and 0.37 mol PPE inhibited/mol alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor; range 0.10-0.80 for the second half). About 60-70% of alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor in each half of the lavage fluid was inactive as an inhibitor. The function of alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor did not differ between bronchitic smokers and ex-smokers. Alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor function was not related to the number of total white cells, macrophages, or neutrophils in the lavage fluid. Contamination of lavage by red blood cells was found to alter the concentration of alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor but not its function when aliquots with and without erythrocytes were compared. These results show that the only difference between the two halves of these lavage samples is in the amount of antileucoprotease present, suggesting that more proximal secretions are being harvested early in the lavage procedure. Much of the alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor present in the samples is functionally inactive, but this is not clearly related to any particular cell type or to smoking habits, and does not differ between different stages of the lavage procedure. Much of the alpha1 proteinase inhibitor present in the samples is functionally inactive, but this is not clearly related to any particular cell type or to smoking habits, and does not differ between different stages of the lavage procedure. Finally, the presence of erythrocytes probably does affect alpha(1) proteinase inhibitor concentration and such samples should be excluded from analysis.

Full text

PDF
438

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abrams W. R., Fein A. M., Kucich U., Kueppers F., Yamada H., Kuzmowycz T., Morgan L., Lippmann M., Goldberg S. K., Weinbaum G. Proteinase inhibitory function in inflammatory lung disease. I. Acute bacterial pneumonia. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984 May;129(5):735–741. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1984.129.5.735. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Banda M. J., Clark E. J., Werb Z. Limited proteolysis by macrophage elastase inactivates human alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. J Exp Med. 1980 Dec 1;152(6):1563–1570. doi: 10.1084/jem.152.6.1563. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bata J., Revillard J. P. Interaction between alpha 1 antitrypsin and lymphocyte surface proteases: immunoregulatory effects. Agents Actions. 1981 Dec;11(6-7):614–616. doi: 10.1007/BF01978764. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baughman R. P., Bosken C. H., Loudon R. G., Hurtubise P., Wesseler T. Quantitation of bronchoalveolar lavage with methylene blue. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Aug;128(2):266–270. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.128.2.266. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Boudier C., Pelletier A., Pauli G., Bieth J. G. The functional activity of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from healthy human smokers and non-smokers. Clin Chim Acta. 1983 Aug 31;132(3):309–315. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(83)90009-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carp H., Janoff A. Potential mediator of inflammation. Phagocyte-derived oxidants suppress the elastase-inhibitory capacity of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in vitro. J Clin Invest. 1980 Nov;66(5):987–995. doi: 10.1172/JCI109968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Carp H., Miller F., Hoidal J. R., Janoff A. Potential mechanism of emphysema: alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor recovered from lungs of cigarette smokers contains oxidized methionine and has decreased elastase inhibitory capacity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Mar;79(6):2041–2045. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.6.2041. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davis G. S., Giancola M. S., Costanza M. C., Low R. B. Analyses of sequential bronchoalveolar lavage samples from healthy human volunteers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Oct;126(4):611–616. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.4.611. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Davis G. S., Giancola M. S., Costanza M. C., Low R. B. Analyses of sequential bronchoalveolar lavage samples from healthy human volunteers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Oct;126(4):611–616. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.4.611. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hunninghake G. W., Gadek J. E., Kawanami O., Ferrans V. J., Crystal R. G. Inflammatory and immune processes in the human lung in health and disease: evaluation by bronchoalveolar lavage. Am J Pathol. 1979 Oct;97(1):149–206. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kramps J. A., Franken C., Dijkman J. H. ELISA for quantitative measurement of low-molecular-weight bronchial protease inhibitor in human sputum. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984 Jun;129(6):959–963. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1984.129.6.959. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Merrill W., O'Hearn E., Rankin J., Naegel G., Matthay R. A., Reynolds H. Y. Kinetic analysis of respiratory tract proteins recovered during a sequential lavage protocol. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1982 Oct;126(4):617–620. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1982.126.4.617. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mooren H. W., Kramps J. A., Franken C., Meijer C. J., Dijkman J. A. Localisation of a low-molecular-weight bronchial protease inhibitor in the peripheral human lung. Thorax. 1983 Mar;38(3):180–183. doi: 10.1136/thx.38.3.180. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Morrison H. M., Afford S. C., Stockley R. A. Inhibitory capacity of alpha 1 antitrypsin in lung secretions: variability and the effect of drugs. Thorax. 1984 Jul;39(7):510–516. doi: 10.1136/thx.39.7.510. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Ohlsson K. Interactions between granulocyte proteases and protease inhibitors in the lung. Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1980;16 (Suppl):209–222. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-08-027379-2.50022-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Stockley R. A., Afford S. C. Qualitative studies of lung lavage alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1984 Apr;365(4):503–510. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1984.365.1.503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stockley R. A., Afford S. C. The immunological assessment of alpha 1-antitrypsin with reference to its function in bronchial secretions. Clin Sci (Lond) 1983 Oct;65(4):373–381. doi: 10.1042/cs0650373. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Stockley R. A. Measurement of soluble proteins in lung secretions. Thorax. 1984 Apr;39(4):241–247. doi: 10.1136/thx.39.4.241. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Weinberger S. E., Kelman J. A., Elson N. A., Young R. C., Jr, Reynolds H. Y., Fulmer J. D., Crystal R. G. Bronchoalveolar lavage in interstitial lung disease. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Oct;89(4):459–466. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-4-459. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES