title: Protease-induced leukocyte chemotaxis and activation: roles in host defense and inflammation.
abstract: The migration of leukocytes such as neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes into inflamed lesions is one of the critical events of inflammation. Although the traditional function of neutrophil-derived antimicrobial proteases is to ingest and kill bacteria, some neutrophil serine proteases have been shown to induce leukocyte migration and activation. Mast cell-derived chymase also has the chemotactic activity for leukocytes. During the acute phase of inflammatory and allergic diseases, the predominantly migrated cells are neutrophils and mast cells, respectively, and in the subsequent chronic phase, monocytes and lymphocytes are mainly migrated. The chemotactic activity for monocytes and lymphocytes of neutrophil-derived serine proteases and mast cell-derived chymase may have a role in switching acute inflammation to chronic inflammation and delayed-type hypersensitivity. Recently, aminopeptidase N and endothelin were shown to induce chemotactic migration of leukocytes. Thus, protease-induced leukocyte chemotaxis and activation may play an important role in immunologic events of inflammatory and allergic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ogushi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sone
mesh_terms: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018826:CD13 Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D056649:Cathepsin G; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000502:physiology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D053818:Chymases; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D016232:Endothelins / Q000502:physiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000276:immunology; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C062991:AZU1 protein, human; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016232:Endothelins; D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D018826:CD13 Antigens; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C534094:CTSG protein, human; D056649:Cathepsin G; D053818:Chymases