Exposure of human skin to solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induces matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) activity, which degrades type I collagen fibrils. Type I collagen is the most abundant protein in skin and constitutes the majority of skin connective tissue (dermis). Degradation of collagen fibrils impairs the structure and function of skin that characterize skin aging. Decorin is the predo...

BACKGROUND In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) neutrophils are recruited in excess to the airways yet pathogens are not cleared and the patients suffer from chronic infections. Recent studies have shown a deficiency in airway fluids from patients with CF and other inflammatory pulmonary conditions of surfactant protein A (SP-A), a pattern recognition molecule that facilitates uptake of microb...

Elafin, an elastase specific protease inhibitor, is well described to be upregulated in lesional psoriatic skin. Elastase active antimicrobial defence but also involved proteolysis of tissue components. The role this – inhibitor pair not understood the pathogenesis psoriasis. We analysed protein expression neutrophil (NE) and elafin epidermal samples serum psoriasis patients affected by plaque ...

Of patients who undergo cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a procedure essential to most cardiac operations, '1% to 2% develop a syndrome of pulmonary dysfunction called the postpump syndrome, which is analogous to the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that develops as a complication of trauma, sepsis, inhalation injury, aspiration pneumonia, pancreatitis, and other disease states.1,2 This ...

A highly specific, fluorogenic probe detects human neutrophil elastase (hNE) in activated neutrophils and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs).

STUDY OBJECTIVES The prognostic value of the neutrophil count in BAL fluid (BALF) has been controversial. The role of neutrophils in this inflammatory lung disease, therefore, was evaluated in this study by additional measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed BAL in 22 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosed by open lung biopsy specimen. Percent polymorphonuclear leukoc...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effect on clinical outcomes and biomarkers of inflammation and tissue damage of the neutrophil elastase inhibitor AZD9668 (60 mg twice daily orally for 4 weeks) in cystic fibrosis. This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Primary outcome measures were sputum neutrophil count, lung function, 24-h sputum weight, BronkoTest...

OBJECTIVE Neutrophil elastase accounts for the ability of some fresh rheumatoid synovial fluids to degrade cartilage matrix in vitro. The aim of this study was to determine if enzyme activity could result from depletion of synovial fluid inhibitors or protection of the enzyme from inhibition. METHODS The ability of synovial fluids to inhibit porcine pancreatic elastase was investigated togeth...

Neutrophil elastase has been linked to inflammatory lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, adult respiratory distress syndrome, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. In guinea pigs, aerosol challenge with human neutrophil elastase causes bronchoconstriction, but the mechanism by which this occurs is not completely understood. Our laboratory previously showed that human neutrophi...

Elastase from Aspergillus sp. is an important factor for aspergillosis. AFUEI is an inhibitor of the elastase derived from Aspergillus fumigatus. AFUEI is a member of the I78 inhibitor family and has a high inhibitory activity against elastases of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus, human neutrophil elastase and bovine chymotrypsin, but does not inhibit bovine trypsin. Here we report ...