Biomaterial Database

Effect of smoking on peripheral blood leukocytes and serum antiproteases. 1985

R B Bridges, and R J Wyatt, and S R Rehm

Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of chronic obstructive airways disease which has been attributed to a protease-antiprotease imbalance in the lung. The neutrophil is an important source of proteases as well as of myeloperoxidase, which oxidatively inactivates alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha-1-PI). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the protease-antiprotease imbalance hypothesis by measuring changes in peripheral blood components in a group of 110 young, male, asymptomatic smokers and an equal number of age-matched non-smokers. Significant (p = 0.001), but modest impairment of pulmonary function was observed in the smokers as measured by both forced expiratory spirometry and the single breath nitrogen test. A 35% increase (p = 0.0001) in peripheral blood leukocytes in smokers was attributable to increases in neutrophils (44%), lymphocytes (31%) and monocytes (23%). This increase in leukocyte count correlated significantly (p less than or equal to 0.01) with some of the more sensitive indicators of airway obstruction (FEV1/FVC, CV/VC, CC/TLC, and delta N2/L). Myeloperoxidase activity of neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood of smokers was 13% higher than in non-smokers, while elastase activity per neutrophil was apparently unaffected by smoking. In 50 subject pairs, elevations in serum alpha-1-PI concentrations in smokers (13.7%) were comparable to similar increases in trypsin (9.9%) and elastase (12.4%) inhibitory capacities. Expressed as nanomoles protease inhibited per nanomole of alpha-1-PI, the apparent functional activity of alpha-1-PI was unaltered by smoking. However, a lower, apparent functional activity of alpha-1-PI against trypsin and elastase was observed in both smokers and non-smokers with higher serum alpha-1-PI concentrations. Thus, in a population of young smokers, changes in leukocyte count, neutrophil lysosomal enzyme activities, and functional serum antiprotease activity appear to be consistent with the establishment of a protease-antiprotease imbalance. This imbalance may predispose these smokers to obstructive lung disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007958	Leukocyte Count	The number of WHITE BLOOD CELLS per unit volume in venous BLOOD. A differential leukocyte count measures the relative numbers of the different types of white cells.	Blood Cell Count, White,Differential Leukocyte Count,Leukocyte Count, Differential,Leukocyte Number,White Blood Cell Count,Count, Differential Leukocyte,Count, Leukocyte,Counts, Differential Leukocyte,Counts, Leukocyte,Differential Leukocyte Counts,Leukocyte Counts,Leukocyte Counts, Differential,Leukocyte Numbers,Number, Leukocyte,Numbers, Leukocyte
D007962	Leukocytes	White blood cells. These include granular leukocytes (BASOPHILS; EOSINOPHILS; and NEUTROPHILS) as well as non-granular leukocytes (LYMPHOCYTES and MONOCYTES).	Blood Cells, White,Blood Corpuscles, White,White Blood Cells,White Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, White,Blood Corpuscle, White,Corpuscle, White Blood,Corpuscles, White Blood,Leukocyte,White Blood Cell,White Blood Corpuscle
D008173	Lung Diseases, Obstructive	Any disorder marked by obstruction of conducting airways of the lung. AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION may be acute, chronic, intermittent, or persistent.	Obstructive Lung Diseases,Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases,Lung Disease, Obstructive,Obstructive Lung Disease,Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,Pulmonary Disease, Obstructive,Pulmonary Diseases, Obstructive
D008297	Male		Males
D009195	Peroxidase	A hemeprotein from leukocytes. Deficiency of this enzyme leads to a hereditary disorder coupled with disseminated moniliasis. It catalyzes the conversion of a donor and peroxide to an oxidized donor and water. EC 1.11.1.7.	Myeloperoxidase,Hemi-Myeloperoxidase,Hemi Myeloperoxidase
D009504	Neutrophils	Granular leukocytes having a nucleus with three to five lobes connected by slender threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing fine inconspicuous granules and stainable by neutral dyes.	LE Cells,Leukocytes, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils,Neutrophil Band Cells,Band Cell, Neutrophil,Cell, LE,LE Cell,Leukocyte, Polymorphonuclear,Neutrophil,Neutrophil Band Cell,Neutrophil, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil
D010196	Pancreatic Elastase	A protease of broad specificity, obtained from dried pancreas. Molecular weight is approximately 25,000. The enzyme breaks down elastin, the specific protein of elastic fibers, and digests other proteins such as fibrin, hemoglobin, and albumin. EC 3.4.21.36.	Elastase,Pancreatopeptidase,Elastase I,Pancreatic Elastase I,Elastase I, Pancreatic,Elastase, Pancreatic
D010447	Peptide Hydrolases	Hydrolases that specifically cleave the peptide bonds found in PROTEINS and PEPTIDES. Examples of sub-subclasses for this group include EXOPEPTIDASES and ENDOPEPTIDASES.	Peptidase,Peptidases,Peptide Hydrolase,Protease,Proteases,Proteinase,Proteinases,Proteolytic Enzyme,Proteolytic Enzymes,Esteroproteases,Enzyme, Proteolytic,Hydrolase, Peptide
D011480	Protease Inhibitors	Compounds which inhibit or antagonize biosynthesis or actions of proteases (ENDOPEPTIDASES).	Antiprotease,Endopeptidase Inhibitor,Endopeptidase Inhibitors,Peptidase Inhibitor,Peptidase Inhibitors,Peptide Hydrolase Inhibitor,Peptide Hydrolase Inhibitors,Peptide Peptidohydrolase Inhibitor,Peptide Peptidohydrolase Inhibitors,Protease Antagonist,Protease Antagonists,Antiproteases,Protease Inhibitor,Antagonist, Protease,Antagonists, Protease,Hydrolase Inhibitor, Peptide,Hydrolase Inhibitors, Peptide,Inhibitor, Endopeptidase,Inhibitor, Peptidase,Inhibitor, Peptide Hydrolase,Inhibitor, Peptide Peptidohydrolase,Inhibitor, Protease,Inhibitors, Endopeptidase,Inhibitors, Peptidase,Inhibitors, Peptide Hydrolase,Inhibitors, Peptide Peptidohydrolase,Inhibitors, Protease,Peptidohydrolase Inhibitor, Peptide,Peptidohydrolase Inhibitors, Peptide
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man