title: Sputum elastase in steady-state bronchiectasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the correlations between sputum elastase output with clinical and sputum inflammatory and microbial factors in steady-state bronchiectasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective recruitment of patients with bronchiectasis (17 women; 48.5 +/- 16.5 years old; FEV(1)/FVC, 1.3 +/- 0.6/2.1 +/- 0.9) for assessment of 24-h sputum output of elastase, bacteria, leukocytes, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and leukotriene B(4). Clinical variables assessed concomitantly included 24-h sputum volume, lung spirometry, number of lung lobes affected by bronchiectasis, and exacerbation frequency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive recruitment of outpatients (n = 30) in steady-state bronchiectasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four-hour sputum elastase output correlated with 24-h sputum volume (r = 0.79, p = 0.0001); number of bronchiectatic lung lobes (r = 0.54, p = 0.0026); percent predicted FEV(1) (r = -0. 48, p = 0.0068); percent predicted FVC (r = -0.49, p = 0.001); and leukocyte output (r = 0.75, p = 0.0001). There was no correlation between the sputum output of bacteria with either inflammatory or enzymatic factors (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data highlight the importance of elastase and the possibility of independent roles for enzymatic, inflammatory, and microbial components in the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. Further research on novel therapy targeting each of these components should be pursued.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. kwttsang@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000201:enzymology*; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase