Cascade enzyme inhibitors (C1-esterase inhibitor, C3b inactivator, antithrombin III) and other major proteolytic enzyme inhibitors (alpha 1 trypsin inhibitor, alpha 1 chymotrypsin inhibitor, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, alpha 2 macroglobulin) as well as C3 and alpha 1 acid glycoprotein, have been examined in the sera of Nigerian patients suffering from meningococcal infection of varied severi...

Release of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its interaction with plasma protease inhibitors were studied in two patients with massive defibrination, one after electroshock and soft tissue injury and the other after complicated labor; both had very severe hemorrhage. Large quantities of free t-PA were present in the circulation for several hours. Complexes of t-PA with plasminogen activat...

Reference ranges for albumin bound and alpha 2-macroglobulin bound zinc concentrations have been determined in a study of sera obtained from 134 healthy adults. The concentrations of zinc bound to alpha 2-macroglobulin were remarkably constant with a mean (+/-SD) of 2.4 +/- 0.6 mumol/l; the variations in total serum zinc concentrations were almost entirely accounted for by variations in the zin...

Radiolabeled, enzymatically active or chloromethyl ketone-inactivated porcine pancreatic elastase was endotracheally instilled into hamsters. Gel filtration of the bronchopulmonary lavage fluid revealed two major radioactive fractions: one, eluting at 780,000 daltons, corresponding to an alpha-macroglobulin-pancreatic elastase complex, and another, at 68,000 daltons, corresponding to an alpha-1...

Serum levels of albumin, transferrin, alpha(2)-macroglobulin, beta(1)C/beta(1)A, IgA, IgG, and IgM have been determined in 73 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and in age- and sex-matched controls. A highly significant fall in albumin was demonstrated, and there were highly significant increases in alpha(2)-macroglobulin and all three immunoglobulin levels. Transferrin and beta(1)/Cbeta(1...