help button home button
AJRCCM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by VIGNOLA, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by BONSIGNORE, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by VIGNOLA, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by BONSIGNORE, G.

Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 157, Number 2, February 1998, 505-511

Increased Levels of Elastase and alpha 1-Antitrypsin in Sputum of Asthmatic Patients

ANTONIO M. VIGNOLA, ANNA BONANNO, ANGELA MIRABELLA, LOREDANA RICCOBONO, FRANCO MIRABELLA, MIRELLA PROFITA, VINCENZO BELLIA, JEAN BOUSQUET, and GIOVANNI BONSIGNORE

Istituto di Fisiopatologia Respiratoria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and Istituto di Medicina Generale e Pneumologia, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy; and Departement des Maladies Respiratoires Unit 454 INSERM, Montpellier, France

Asthma and chronic bronchitis are inflammatory diseases associated with remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Elastin, a major component of the ECM in the airways, has been previously found to be disrupted in asthma and chronic bronchitis. This study was aimed at evaluating whether elastin disruption might be associated with an imbalance between elastase (active and total) and alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-PI), the main inhibitor of elastase. We measured elastase and alpha 1-PI in induced sputum obtained from 16 control subjects, 10 healthy smokers, 19 asthmatic patients, and 10 chronic bronchitis patients. We also assessed the possible origin of elastase, evaluating its levels in sputum with reference to differential cell counts. We found that in induced sputum obtained from asthmatic and chronic bronchitis patients, the levels of both total and active elastase were significantly increased as compared with those of control subjects and healthy smokers and were significantly correlated with the percentage of neutrophils. In addition, in asthma and chronic bronchitis patients, the levels of active and total elastase were inversely correlated with the degree of airway obstruction as assessed from FEV1 values. This study shows that airway inflammation in asthma and chronic bronchitis is associated with high levels of active elastase, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of airway remodeling.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
Y. K. Zhu, X. D. Liu, C. M. Skold, T. Umino, H. J. Wang, J. R. Spurzem, T. Kohyama, R. F. Ertl, and S. I. Rennard
Synergistic neutrophil elastase-cytokine interaction degrades collagen in three-dimensional culture
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2001; 281(4): L868 - L878.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
S. Sethi, K. Muscarella, N. Evans, K. L. Klingman, B. J. B. Grant, and T. F. Murphy
Airway Inflammation and Etiology of Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis
Chest, December 1, 2000; 118(6): 1557 - 1565.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol.Home page
M. Profita, A. Sala, L. Riccobono, E. Pace, A. Paterno, S. Zarini, L. Siena, A. Mirabella, G. Bonsignore, and A. M. Vignola
15(S)-HETE modulates LTB4 production and neutrophil chemotaxis in chronic bronchitis
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, October 1, 2000; 279(4): C1249 - C1258.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ThoraxHome page
A. M Vignola, R. Gagliardo, D. Guerrera, G. Chiappara, P. Chanez, J. Bousquet, and G. Bonsignore
New evidence of inflammation in asthma
Thorax, October 1, 2000; 55(90002): 59S - 60.
[Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
J. BOUSQUET, P. K. JEFFERY, W. W. BUSSE, M. JOHNSON, and A. M. VIGNOLA
Asthma . From Bronchoconstriction to Airways Inflammation and Remodeling
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., May 1, 2000; 161(5): 1720 - 1745.
[Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
J. BELDA, R. LEIGH, K. PARAMESWARAN, P. M. O'BYRNE, M. R. SEARS, and F. E. HARGREAVE
Induced Sputum Cell Counts in Healthy Adults
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., February 1, 2000; 161(2): 475 - 478.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
A. JATAKANON, C. UASUF, W. MAZIAK, S. LIM, K. F. CHUNG, and P. J. BARNES
Neutrophilic Inflammation in Severe Persistent Asthma
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., November 1, 1999; 160(5): 1532 - 1539.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
T. MAUAD, A. C. G. XAVIER, P. H. N. SALDIVA, and M. DOLHNIKOFF
Elastosis and Fragmentation of Fibers of the Elastic System in Fatal Asthma
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., September 1, 1999; 160(3): 968 - 975.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.Home page
A. M. VIGNOLA, L. RICCOBONO, A. MIRABELLA, M. PROFITA, P. CHANEZ, V. BELLIA, G. MAUTINO, P. D'ACCARDI, J. BOUSQUET, and G. BONSIGNORE
Sputum Metalloproteinase-9/Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 Ratio Correlates with Airflow Obstruction in Asthma and Chronic Bronchitis
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 1998; 158(6): 1945 - 1950.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Proc. Am. Thorac. Soc. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol.
Copyright © 1998 American Thoracic Society 		  Work-Life