Biomaterial Database

Differences in elastase-binding activity of alpha 1-protease inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin for asthma patients and control subjects with various alpha 1-protease inhibitor phenotypes. 1993

M C Gaillard, and S B Reichberg, and C M Nogueira, and T A Kilroe-Smith

Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Forty-two adult patients with asthma and 30 control subjects were investigated for elastase-binding capacities of alpha 1-protease inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin in plasma. The binding activities of alpha 1-protease inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin in asthmatic patients with the M phenotype for the alpha 1-protease inhibitor differed in their relationship to the values in control subjects with the same phenotype [less alpha 1-protease inhibitor for asthmatics (35.1 +/- 1.8) than for controls (42.9 +/- 2.0 kU/L) (P < 0.001); more alpha 2-macroglobulin for asthmatics (6.9 +/- 0.3) than for control subjects (5.9 +/- 0.4 kU/L) (P < 0.03)]. In contrast, the patients with a deficiency allele (S, V, or Z) for alpha 1-protease inhibitor had lower activities of both alpha 1-protease inhibitor [22.1 +/- 0.1 vs 42.9 +/- 2.0 kU/L (P < 0.001)] and alpha 2-macroglobulin [4.6 +/- 0.6 vs 5.9 +/- 0.4 kU/L (P < 0.001)] than did the control subjects with the M phenotypes. The relevance of the results to the pathogenesis of asthma is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010179	Pancreas	A nodular organ in the ABDOMEN that contains a mixture of ENDOCRINE GLANDS and EXOCRINE GLANDS. The small endocrine portion consists of the ISLETS OF LANGERHANS secreting a number of hormones into the blood stream. The large exocrine portion (EXOCRINE PANCREAS) is a compound acinar gland that secretes several digestive enzymes into the pancreatic ductal system that empties into the DUODENUM.
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
D010641	Phenotype	The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment.	Phenotypes
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000483	Alleles	Variant forms of the same gene, occupying the same locus on homologous CHROMOSOMES, and governing the variants in production of the same gene product.	Allelomorphs,Allele,Allelomorph
D000511	alpha-Macroglobulins	Glycoproteins with a molecular weight of approximately 620,000 to 680,000. Precipitation by electrophoresis is in the alpha region. They include alpha 1-macroglobulins and alpha 2-macroglobulins. These proteins exhibit trypsin-, chymotrypsin-, thrombin-, and plasmin-binding activity and function as hormonal transporters.	Slow alpha 2-Macroglobulins,alpha 2-Acute Phase Globulins,alpha-Macrofetoproteins,45S RNP,Acute-Phase alpha 1-Protein,Slow alpha 2-Globulin,alpha 1-Acute Phase Globulin,alpha 1-Acute Phase Protein,alpha 1-Macroglobulin,alpha 2-Acute Phase Globulin,alpha-Macrofetoprotein,Acute Phase alpha 1 Protein,RNP, 45S,Slow alpha 2 Globulin,Slow alpha 2 Macroglobulins,alpha 1 Acute Phase Globulin,alpha 1 Acute Phase Protein,alpha 1 Macroglobulin,alpha 1-Protein, Acute-Phase,alpha 2 Acute Phase Globulin,alpha 2 Acute Phase Globulins,alpha 2-Globulin, Slow,alpha 2-Macroglobulins, Slow,alpha Macrofetoprotein,alpha Macrofetoproteins,alpha Macroglobulins