title: The role of elastases in the development of emphysema.
abstract: Enzymes which degrade elastin can disorganize the network of elastic fibers in the lungs of experimental animals and produce emphysema. Two sources of endogenous elastases in the lung are neutrophils and alveolar macrophages. The neutrophil elastase is an intracellular, granule-associated enzyme which is inhibited by α1-antitrypsin and has the capacity to produce emphysema in experimental animals. The recently identified macrophage elastase appears to be a secretory enzyme, not associated with granules and less effectively inhibited by α1-antitrypsin. The demonstration that macrophages from cigarette smokers release elastase in culture, and that cigarette smoke interferes with the action of inhibitors of elastase, suggests that elastases may be involved in the pathogenesis of emphysema in man. Further research is needed to establish whether degradation of elastin occurs in humans developing emphysema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, USA.|the Pulmonary Disease and Respiratory Care Division, Department of Medicine, The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, USA.|the Pulmonary Disease and Respiratory Care Division, Department of Medicine, The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Senior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D008264:Macrophages; D009504:Neutrophils; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase
keywords: Alveolar macrophage; Elastase; Elastin; Emphysema; Neutrophil