Aqueous solutions of gas phase cigarette smoke were incubated with pure human leukocyte elastase or with crude human leukocyte granule extract, and the effects on enzyme activity were determined using a synthetic amide substrate. Simultaneously, the same smoke solutions were incubated with 10% human serum under identical conditions, and the effects on serum inhibition of purified or crude leukocyte elastase were similarly measured. In addition, aqueous solutions of unfractionated cigarette smoke were incubated with leukocyte elastase or serum, and the abilities of the smoke-treated enzyme to digest elastin and of the smoke-treated serum to inhibit elastin digestion were determined. Both experimental protocols showed that serum elastase-inhibiting capacity (primarily caused by alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor) is more susceptible to inactivation by aqueous solutions of cigarette smoke than is leukocyte elastase, suggesting that elastase inhibition (rather than elastase activity) may be predominantly suppressed by cigarette smoke inhalation in vivo.