Kininase II in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum of patients with pulmonary disorders

In 68 patients with pulmonary diseases such as lung cancer (n = 32), sarcoidosis (n = 21) and chronic bronchitis (n = 15), kininase II (EC .4.15.1) (KII) was fluorimetrically (F-LKII) and the albumin concentration (LALB) spectrophotometrically measured in native unconcentrated bronchoalveolar bronchoalveolar fluid. For comparison in serum, the KII was also spectrophotometrically (SP-KII) and fluorometrically (F-SKII) determined. In all patients, the mean SD F-LKII activity was 0.2 ± 0.4 U/L, the LALB concentrations 0.17 ± 0.44 g/L, and the resulting specific F-LKII activity was 3±3 U/g LALB. The highest elevations of LALB concentrations were determined in lung cancer. The highest activities of F-LKII, F-SKII, and SP-SKII were observed in sarcoidosis. A significant linear relation was found between F-LKII and LALB (R = 0.60, P < 0.0002) and also between F-SKII and SP-SKII (R = 0.88, P < 0.0001), but no relation could be established between F-SKII and F-LKII, indicating that the KII measured in lavage was not identical with the KII found in serum.