title: Release of immunoreactive human neutrophil proteinase 4, normally and in peritonitis.
abstract: A specific enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) has been developed for the determination of neutrophil proteinase 4 (NP4) in human plasma/serum and tissue fluids. Comparison of the sequence for the first 20 N-terminal amino acids of NP4, neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G shows that NP4 is distinct from the other two proteases. However, all three show considerable homology. Neither elastase nor cathepsin G show any immunoreactivity when tested in the present ELISA. Normal human plasma contains about 38 micrograms/l of NP4, identified as alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor complexes. This represents about 50% of the total amount of NP4 released in plasma. The remaining 50% is bound by alpha 2-macroglobulin. Blood coagulation leads to a rapid release of NP4 from the leukocytes. Peritonitis is accompanied by a pronounced release of NP4, as shown by a three-to 10-fold increase of NP4 plasma levels and by the NP4 level in peritoneal exudates, which reaches about 40 mg/l in severe cases.
authors.affiliation: University of Lund, Department of Surgical Pathophysiology, Malmö General Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergenfeldt
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D056649:Cathepsin G; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000737:chemistry; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D053146:Myeloblastin; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology*; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000737:chemistry; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000201:enzymology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood*; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D002403:Cathepsins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C534094:CTSG protein, human; D056649:Cathepsin G; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D053146:Myeloblastin