title: Elastolytic activity of human blood monocytes characterized by a new monoclonal antibody against human leucocyte elastase. Relationship to rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The leucocyte elastase of human blood monocytes was investigated by applying a new monoclonal antibody which did not block the enzyme activity against elastin. In a fixed population of mononuclear cells (MNC) and using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), the human leucocyte elastase (HLE) antibody identified a subgroup of CD14+ cells which contained all the elastase activity and which could be blocked by a specific chloromethylketone elastase inhibitor. By anti-CD14 labelling the HLE positive cells were identified as monocytes and amounted to 88% of this cell type (median: range 72-96%). In a parallel study of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and control donors the elastolytic capacity of PMA-stimulated live MNC was higher for RA patients than for controls (p less than 0.02). For control donors the number of HLE+ cells correlated well to the elastolysis in the same MNC sample (Spearman's rho:0.83, p less than 0.05); in the samples from RA patients no correlation was found between the normal number of HLE+ cells and the increased elastolysis (rho: 0.54, p greater than 0.20).
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004549:Elastin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D004549:Elastin; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase