Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1986 Jun;41(6):442–447. doi: 10.1136/thx.41.6.442

Elastase inhibitors of sputum sol phase: variability, relationship to neutrophil elastase inhibition, and effect of corticosteroid treatment.

R A Stockley, H M Morrison, J A Kramps, J H Dijkman, D Burnett
PMCID: PMC460361  PMID: 2431494

Abstract

The concentrations of three known elastase inhibitors (alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor, antileucoprotease, and alpha 2 macroglobulin) have been determined in the sputum of six patients with obstructive bronchitis over five consecutive days. Antileucoprotease was the major inhibitor measured and potentially could provide more than 80% of the elastase inhibition, whereas the contribution of alpha 2 macroglobulin was less than 0.2%. Comparison with the inhibitory capacity of the secretions active against human neutrophil elastase showed that the inhibitors could account for only about half of the inhibition measured. This suggests the presence of a substantial amount of unrecognised inhibitor. Corticosteroid treatment in 10 patients reduced the mean alpha 1 proteinase inhibitor concentration (p less than 0.025) from 18.6 micrograms/ml (SD 22.5) to 9.8 (6.6). Antileucoprotease, however, increased (p less than 0.05) from 20.5 micrograms/ml (24.3) to 39.3 (23.4). These changes were associated with an increase in elastase inhibition (p less than 0.025) from 180 (160) micrograms elastase/ml secretion to 310 (130), suggesting a beneficial effect of steroid treatment on the antielastases in lung secretions.

Full text

PDF
442

Selected References

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

  1. Barrett A. J., Brown M. A., Sayers C. A. The electrophoretically 'slow' and 'fast' forms of the alpha 2-macroglobulin molecule. Biochem J. 1979 Aug 1;181(2):401–418. doi: 10.1042/bj1810401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baumstark J. S., Lee C. T., Luby R. J. Rapid inactivation of alpha1-protease inhibitor (alpha1-antitrypsin) by elastase. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 Jun 10;482(2):400–411. doi: 10.1016/0005-2744(77)90254-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. 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]
  4. Burnett D., Stockley R. A. Cathepsin B-like cysteine proteinase activity in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples: relationship to inflammatory cells and effects of corticosteroids and antibiotic treatment. Clin Sci (Lond) 1985 Apr;68(4):469–474. doi: 10.1042/cs0680469. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burnett D., Stockley R. A. Serum and sputum alpha 2 macroglobulin in patients with chronic obstructive airways disease. Thorax. 1981 Jul;36(7):512–516. doi: 10.1136/thx.36.7.512. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fryksmark U., Ohlsson K., Rosengren M., Tegner H. Studies on the interaction between leukocyte elastase, antileukoproteinase and the plasma proteinase inhibitors alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1983 Jul;364(7):793–800. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1983.364.2.793. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gadek J. E., Fells G. A., Zimmerman R. L., Crystal R. G. Role of connective tissue proteases in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory lung disease. Environ Health Perspect. 1984 Apr;55:297–306. doi: 10.1289/ehp.8455297. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gadek J. E., Fells G. A., Zimmerman R. L., Rennard S. I., Crystal R. G. Antielastases of the human alveolar structures. Implications for the protease-antiprotease theory of emphysema. J Clin Invest. 1981 Oct;68(4):889–898. doi: 10.1172/JCI110344. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jochum M., Lander S., Heimburger N., Fritz H. Effect of human granulocytic elastase on isolated human antithrombin III. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1981 Feb;362(2):103–112. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1981.362.1.103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. 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]
  11. Kueppers F., Bromke B. J. Protease inhibitors in tracheobronchial secretions. J Lab Clin Med. 1983 May;101(5):747–757. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. 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]
  13. 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]
  14. 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]
  15. Stockley R. A., Morrison H. M., Smith S., Tetley T. Low molecular mass bronchial proteinase inhibitor and alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1984 May;365(5):587–595. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1984.365.1.587. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Stockley R. A. Proteolytic enzymes, their inhibitors and lung diseases. Clin Sci (Lond) 1983 Feb;64(2):119–126. doi: 10.1042/cs0640119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Wiggins J., Elliott J. A., Stevenson R. D., Stockley R. A. Effect of corticosteroids on sputum sol-phase protease inhibitors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax. 1982 Sep;37(9):652–656. doi: 10.1136/thx.37.9.652. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wiggins J., Stockley R. A. Variability in sputum sol phase proteins in chronic obstructive bronchitis. The value of using albumin for standardization. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Jul;128(1):60–64. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.128.1.60. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES