title: Studies of protease and protease inhibitors in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy.
abstract: Serum levels of 6 protease inhibitors, alpha 1-antitrypsin, Cl inactivator, alpha 2-macroglobulin, antithrombin-3, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor were measured in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) and a control group without neurologic disease. No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups. The proteolytic effect of brinase, an enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae, on amyloid tissue sections from patients with FAP was also evaluated. Amyloid fibrils were degraded by brinase, while the tissue structure remained fairly intact.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D001954:Brinolase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D001954:Brinolase