title: Evaluation of the urinary desmosine radioimmunoassay as a monitor of lung injury after endobronchial elastase instillation in sheep.
abstract: Thirty male sheep were treated with varying doses of endobronchial elastase. Urinary excretion of elastin peptides was then measured by desmosine radioimmunoassay and compared with pre-enzyme values. Mean linear intercepts were measured in treated and untreated lobes 4 wk later, and in addition, lung perfusion, ventilation, and volume were measured before enzyme treatment and 4 wk later using radionuclide-imaging techniques. Most of the elevation in urinary desmosine excretion occurred in the first 48 h after elastase administration. The increase in desmosine excretion was positively correlated with: enzyme dose (r = 0.74, p less than 0.01), increase in mean linear intercept (r = 0.61, p less than 0.05), decrease in lung perfusion (r = 0.77, p less than 0.01), and decrease in ventilation (r = 0.58, p less than 0.05). These results demonstrate that the urinary desmosine radioimmunoassay is a reliable index of pulmonary elastin breakdown and of several resultant anatomic and physiologic stigmata of pulmonary emphysema.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000652:urine*; D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi; D003895:Desmosine / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000652:urine; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012119:Respiration; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D003895:Desmosine; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase