title: Neutrophil elastase: alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor complex in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: It was hypothesized that neutrophil elastase released from activated neutrophils may play an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. In the present study, we measured the neutrophil elastase:alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor complex (E-PI) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in 26 patients with pulmonary fibrosis and evaluated the correlation between E-PI levels and several parameters. E-PI levels in serum of patients with pulmonary fibrosis (635.8+/-112.0 ng.mL(-1)) were significantly elevated compared to normal nonsmokers (122.0+/-4.0 ng.mL(-1)) as well as normal smokers (132.8+/-8.4 ng.mL(-1)) (p<0.01). E-PI levels in serum significantly correlated with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels in serum, C-reactive protein (CRP), and negatively correlated with arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O2), and arterial carbon dioxide tension (Pa,CO2). E-PI/albumin levels in BALF significantly correlated with HGF/albumin levels in BALF, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)/albumin in BALF, total number of inflammatory cells (alveolar macrophages and neutrophils) in BALF, and several markers derived from epithelial cells in BALF. Our data demonstrated: 1) neutrophil elastase:alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor complex in serum increased in patients with pulmonary fibrosis; and 2) neutrophil elastase:alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor complex in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid correlated with clinical parameters in pulmonary fibrosis. These results suggest that neutrophil elastase may play a significant role in the process of lung injury in pulmonary fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: First Dept of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamanouchi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hojo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshinouchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamadori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohtsuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takahara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; C037741:alpha 1-antitrypsin-leukocyte elastase complex; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase