title: Serum elastase and its inhibitors in the blood of heavily burnt patients.
abstract: Serum elastase and its inhibitors were determined in the sera of heavily burnt patients. Serum elastase levels were elevated at two to eight days after a severe burn-accident and returned towards normal values from the 10th day on. Both alpha1-antitrypsin and alpha2-macroglobulin levels were also elevated in the sera of heavily burnt patients. alpha1-Antitrypsin showed a parallel evolution to the elastase level but alpha2-macroglobulin followed a somewhat different time curve. Plasminogen and antithrombin were not elevated significantly. It is suggested that serum elastase may play a role in tissue degradation in burnt patients.
mesh_terms: D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism; D002056:Burns / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood*; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010958:Plasminogen; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase