Resistin is elevated in cystic fibrosis sputum and correlates negatively with lung function

Background

Resistin is an immunometabolic mediator that is elevated in several inflammatory disorders. A ligand for Toll-like receptor 4, resistin modulates the recruitment and activation of myeloid cells, notably neutrophils. Neutrophils are major drivers of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, in part due to the release of human neutrophil elastase- and myeloperoxidase-rich primary granules, leading to tissue damage. Here we assessed the relationship of resistin to CF lung disease.

Granulocyte elastase levels do not correlate with anaerobic and aerobic bacterial growth in seminal plasma from infertile men

Seminal culture and leucocyte elastase measurements were undertaken on samples from 30 men attending an infertility clinic. Elastase levels over 1000 ng ml-1 were obtained in 14 men and positive bacterial culture in 11 men, but there was no correlation between these two sets of measurements. While granulocyte elastase measurement in semen may reflect inflammation, our study suggests that it cannot be used as a simple marker of infection particularly in a population such as ours where the prevalence of prostatitis and genital infection is low.     

乌司他丁对严重烧伤患者伤后早期心肌损害的防治作用

目的观察乌司他丁（UTI）对烧伤“休克心”的防治作用，探讨其可能的机制。方法选择笔者单位收治的伤后24h内入院、烧伤面积〉50％TBsA的34例特重度烧伤患者，分为烧伤组和UTI治疗组，每组17例。两组患者均进行常规治疗，且UTI治疗组患者入院后立即给予UTI10万U静脉滴注，3次／d，连续7d。于两组患者伤后2、4、7d采血，检测其血浆中性粒细胞弹性蛋白酶（PMN elastase）、心肌肌钙蛋白I（cTnI）含量和心肌型肌酸激酶同工酶（CK—MB）活性，以公认的各指标正常值作参考，并对3项指标进行相关性分析。结果（1）伤后2、4、7d，两组患者血浆PMN elastase及cTnI含量均显著高于正常值（P〈0．01）；UTI治疗组与烧伤组比较，两指标偏低。（2）与正常值比较，伤后2、4、7d烧伤组患者CK—MB活性明显升高（P〈0．01），第4天达高峰；UTI治疗组伤后2、4d CK—MB活性明显高于正常值（P〈0．05或0．01），但与烧伤组比较升幅较小，第7天降至正常值水平（P〉0．05）。（3）34例烧伤患者PMN elastase、cTnI含量及CK—MB活性三者间均呈现显著正相关，前两者的相关系数为0．904，后两者的相关系数为0．922，PMN elastase含量与CK-MB活性的相关系数为0．829（均为P〈0．01）。结论UTI能够显著减轻严重烧伤患者心肌损害的程度，有效抑制PMN elastase的过度释放。     

Granulocytes in bronchial lavage fluid after major vascular surgery

Increased numbers of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) in the airways, as measured by PMN content in bronchial lavage fluid (P less than 0.01), were found 3 h postoperatively in ten patients undergoing surgery for lumbar aortic aneurysms. An increase in plasma levels of the complement split product C3dg from 6 (0-19) AU/ml preoperatively to 20 (13-50) AU/ml 3 h after surgery (P less than 0.01), indicates an activation of the complement cascade. These changes were not accompanied by increased elastase activity in the bronchial lavage fluid or by major changes in pulmonary blood gas exchange or vascular resistance, indicating that massive PMN activation, analogous to that proposed in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) had not taken place. In conclusion, complement system activation and migration of PMN into the airways, as seen in connection with major vascular surgery, does not seem to contribute to ARDS-type pulmonary dysfunction.     

MMP-9和TIMP-1在实验性肺气肿大鼠肺组织中的表达及其意义

目的研究基质金属蛋白酶(MMP-9)及其组织抑制因子(TIMP-1)在弹性蛋白酶所致肺气肿大鼠肺组织中的表达.方法雄性Wistar大鼠20只,随机分为两组:正常对照组和肺气肿模型组,每组10只.模型组大鼠气管内滴入弹性蛋白酶复制肺气肿模型.25d后,观察各组大鼠肺组织的病理改变,免疫组化方法观察肺组织MMP-9和TIMP-1中的蛋白表达情况.结果肺气肿模型组MMP-9和TIMP-1的表达与正常对照组相比明显增强(P＜0.01),且MMP-9/TIMP-1比值失衡.结论MMP-9/TIMP-1失衡在肺气肿形成中起重要作用.     

Inhibition of HIV-1 by modification of a host membrane protease

While it is clear that CD4 Is the receptor for the gp120 envelopeprotein of HIV-1, substantial evidence suggests that other hostcell proteins are required for successful membrane fusion. Studieswere initiated to examine the potential for a protein receptorwhich has an elastase-like character to participate in fusionof HIV-1 with permissive host cells. A synthetic elastase inhibitorwas shown to significantly reduce HIV-1 infectivity when presentduring, but not after, the initial contact between virus andcells. A human T cell elastase-like membrane component was purifiedand shown to be lipid-associated. By competitive Inhibition,the purified protein was shown to bind gp160 within the HIV-1fusion domain. The binding parameters of whole T cell membraneextract, with a hydrophobic pentapeptide representative of thefusion domain, suggested an elastase-like protein is the single,secondary T cell receptor for HIV-1 (K = 1x10³ M^–1). Thepentapeptide interacted with porcine and human (epithelial andpolymorphonuclear leukocyte), but not murine, elastase isoforms,suggesting its participation In the permissiveness of host cellsto infection.     

Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and anti-proteinase 3 antibodies in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated systemic vasculitis.

alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) is a naturally occurring inhibitor of proteinase 3 (PR3) and elastase, two of the target antigens of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). An increased incidence of alpha 1-AT phenotypes associated with dysfunctional alpha 1-AT or low serum levels has been reported in patients with anti-PR3 antibodies. We have studied the relationship between ANCA, and phenotypes and serum levels of alpha 1-AT. Phenotypes usually associated with a moderate or severe reduction in alpha 1-AT serum levels or in dysfunctional activity were found more often in individuals with anti-PR3 antibodies than in the general population: four of the 31 patients (13%) with anti-PR3 antibodies had phenotypes MZ (n = 2), S (n = 1) or Z (n = 1) (P < 0.05). However, the corresponding alpha 1-AT serum levels were normal (n = 3) or elevated (n = 1). None of the 31 sera with anti-PR3 antibodies had low levels of alpha 1-AT. No abnormal alpha 1-AT phenotype was demonstrated in seven patients with anti-elastase antibodies, despite a low level of alpha 1-AT in one serum. Anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies are common in patients with ANCA, but no abnormal phenotype or low serum alpha 1-AT level was demonstrated in any of 29 sera containing these antibodies. Finally anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies occur occasionally in patients with ANCA-associated diseases, but again none of 10 sera had an abnormal alpha 1-AT phenotype or low serum level. ANCA were not demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence in any serum from 73 patients with abnormal alpha 1-AT phenotypes. These results confirm that patients with anti-PR3 antibodies often have alpha 1-AT phenotypes that are usually associated with low serum levels of alpha 1-AT or with dysfunctional protein. Nevertheless, the incidence of anti-PR3 antibodies in patients with abnormal alpha 1-AT phenotypes is very low. This probably reflects the rarity of Wegener's granulomatosis, the major disease associated with anti-PR3 antibodies, and the relative frequency of abnormal alpha 1-AT phenotypes. The mechanism for the development of anti-PR3 antibodies in patients with abnormal alpha 1-AT phenotypes is not clear, but may relate to the increased propensity of unbound and uninhibited PR3 to stimulate autoantibody production.     

Preparation of a proteolytic enzyme mixture containing trypsin,elastase, and chymotrypsin for use in tissue disaggregation

Summary We describe a purification method for tissue culture-grade trypsin that yields an enzyme mixture with reproducible activities of trypsin, elastase, and chymotrypsin and eliminates amylase and lipase.     

Demonstration of skin-derived antileukoproteinase (skalp) and its target enzyme human leukocyte elastase in squamous cell carcinoma

Skin-derived antileukoproteinase (SKALP), also known as elafin, is a strong and specific inhibitor of elastase and proteinase 3. SKALP is not present in normal epidermis, but is expressed by epidermal keratinocytes under hyperproliferative conditions such as psoriasis, wound healing, and in cell culture. In human epidermal tumours, SKALP is differentially expressed and restricted to tumours with distinct squamous differentiation. We have studied the presence of both SKALP and one of its known target enzymes, leukocyte elastase, in 41 squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. SKALP expression correlated with the degree of differentiation: strong expression was seen in well-differentiated cells and expression was absent in poorly differentiated tumour cells. Most of the squamous cell carcinomas showed elastase-positive cells in the tumour stroma and also within the tumour cell nests. SKALP may interfere with the proteoloytic activity of infiltrating inflammatory cells or with hitherto unknown proteinases from the tumour cells. We hypothesize that in squamous cell carcinoma progressive loss of SKALP expression could facilitate tumour spread.