Levels of Elastase Activity in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids of Healthy Smokers and Nonsmokers1–3
- 1 May 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Thoracic Society in American Review of Respiratory Disease
- Vol. 127 (5) , 540-544
- https://doi.org/10.1164/arrd.1983.127.5.540
Abstract
Elastase activity was measured in concentrated, cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), using the synthetic substrate butyloxycarbonyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-prolyl-L-valyl-amino-methylcoumarin. The BAL fluids obtained from young, asymptomatic smokers with normal urine desmosine concentrations 1 h after they had smoked 2 cigarettes showed significant increases in elastase levels compared with those in nonsmoking control subjects [nanomoles substrate hydrolyzed (3 h) per milligram lavage albumin = mean 2.7 ± 1.9 SD (11 smokers) versus 0.5 ± 0.4 (11 nonsmokers), p < 0.01]. Repeated BAL samples were obtained at later times from one smoker with a high initial enzyme value and from one nonsmoking control subject. Elastase activity varied over time, but both subjects consistently remained within their respective group ranges. Inhibition studies on pooled BAL from smokers showed that the elastase activity present had properties of both serine and metalloenzymes, suggesting that neutrophils and/or monocytes (serine ...This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
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