title: Cystatins in health and disease.
abstract: Proteolytic enzymes have many physiological functions in plants, bacteria, viruses, protozoa and mammals. They play a role in processes such as food digestion, complement activation or blood coagulation. The action of proteolytic enzymes is biologically controlled by proteinase inhibitors and increasing attention is being paid to the physiological significance of these natural inhibitors in pathological processes. The reason for this growing interest is that uncontrolled proteolysis can lead to irreversible damage e.g. in chronic inflammation or tumor metastasis. This review focusses on the possible role of the cystatins, natural and specific inhibitors of the cysteine proteinases, in pathological processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biochemistry, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Netherlands.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Henskens
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Veerman
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Nieuw Amerongen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015891:Cystatins / Q000502:physiology*; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D004194:Disease; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015891:Cystatins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors