title: Bronchial inflammation: its relationship to colonizing microbial load and alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency.
abstract: Neutrophil elastase is capable of generating many of the features of chronic bronchial disease. In patients with COPD, airways inflammation with neutrophil recruitment and elastase release is positively correlated with colonizing bacterial load in the stable clinical state (p < 0.0005). In addition, alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency is associated with a greater neutrophil load, higher elastase activity, leukotriene-B(4) concentration, and serum protein leak than matched patients without deficiency (p < 0.005). These data confirm an effect of bronchial colonization on airways inflammation in COPD and indicate the role of alpha(1)-antitrypsin in its modulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stockley
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D001980:Bronchi / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000378:metabolism; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D019896:alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D009195:Peroxidase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase