Leukotriene C4 (LTC4), a mediator generated by a variety of inflammatory cells, participates in several physiological and pathological processes. It has been shown that LTC4 stimulates collagen synthesis by fibroblasts, suggesting a role in collagen turnover. However, the possible effect of this mediator on collagen degradation has not been examined. In this study we explored the role of LTC4 i...

A specific antiserum to rabbit bone collagenase was raised in a sheep and shown to react with collagenase from several mammalian species. This antiserum was used to demonstrate that only active collagenase binds to and can be immunolocalized on collagen fibrils and, by indirect immunofluorescence, the secretion of latent collagenase by stimulated rabbit chondrocytes and cells of the post-partum...

BACKGROUND Collagenase-3 (matrix metalloproteinase-13, MMP-13) is a recently identified human MMP with broad substrate specificity which can be activated by membrane type 1 (MT1) matrix metalloproteinase in vitro. These may play a critical role in cancer aggressiveness. AIMS To examine the clinical significance of collagenase-3 expression and the cooperative role of MT1-MMP in human oesophage...

An aqueous extract of human placenta exhibits strong gelatinase/collagenase activity in zymography. 2-D gel electrophoresis of the extract with gelatin zymography in the second dimension displayed a single spot, identified as ubiquitin-like component upon MALDI/TOF MS/MS analysis. Immunoblot indicated presence of ubiquitin and absence of collagenase in the extract. Collagenase activity of the u...

Collagenase activity was measured by direct assay in skins from 12 patients afflicted with systemic sclerosis. In seven of those cases where extensive involvement of the forearm and trunk skin existed, collagenase activity of the involved skin was minimal or absent. Moreover, in the same patient, regions of marked skin involvement (e.g., forearm) showed no collagenase activity, when clinically ...

A distinctive isolate was discovered and visually recognized as a member of the genus Didymella during routine examination Coelomycetes isolated from diverse fruit juices. Based on sequencing internal transcribed spacer (ITS), fungus identified keratinophila since it showed 100% identity to type strain. The strain thrived produced keratinase collagenase enzymes by hydrolyzing native chicken fea...

An antibody against human skin collagenase obtained from tissue culture has been used to demonstrate the presence of immunoreactive collagenase in human skin extracts that have no detectable enzyme activity. Gel filtration of these skin extracts permits the separation of collagenase in its active form from the other proteins in the crude mixture. The recovery of enzymatically active collagenase...

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether interstitial collagenase (MMP-1) concentration in synovial fluid can be useful as a marker for disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to determine the main route by which collagenase degrades the matrix of articular cartilage, and to investigate if an imbalance between metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) is respon...