title: [Proteases involved in airway inflammation of COPD].
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) is one of major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for the development of COPD and causes airway inflammation and parenchymal destruction. In the pathogenesis of COPD, protease-antiprotease imbalance is considered to be one of the important processes through the study of alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency. At present, not only neutrophil elastase but also cathepsin and matrix metalloproteinases produced by inflammatory cells are demonstrated to be important in the pathogenesis of COPD, In this review, the roles of various kinds of proteases in the airway inflammation are summarized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Juntendo University, School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasagi
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seyama
authors.forename: Yoshinosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*; D019896:alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases