Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.17 (lysozyme)
21,489 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recently it has been demonstrated that human antibody fragments with binding activities against self antigens can be isolated from repertoires of rearranged V genes from non-immunized humans. We have applied phage display technology to study the B cell repertoire for antibody activity against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens. These antibodies may play an important role in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and related forms of vasculitides. Autoantibodies in patients with WG are directed against proteinase 3. The immunodominant antigen in other forms of vasculitis is myeloperoxidase, but the B cell response can also be directed against other neutrophil enzymes, e.g. lysozyme, human neutrophil elastase, lactoferrin and cathepsin G. We show here that anti-self reactivity against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens can be detected in the rearranged V gene repertoire of healthy individuals and that the reactivity can be directed against structural related epitopes which are present on different neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens. The scFv with binding activities were sequenced and the V gene usage, the level of somatic mutations and the immunoserological characteristics of the antibody fragments are discussed. Further evidence is presented that antibody fragments consisting only of a heavy chain variable domain can recognize neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens in a specific manner. These single-domain antibody fragments were used in experiments designed to establish the relative role of the light chain variable domains in antigen binding.
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PMID:Molecular characteristics of anti-self antibody fragments against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens from human V gene phage display libraries. 853 74

During acute inflammatory processes, extracellular release of granulocyte elastase can contribute to subsequent tissue damage. To test our hypothesis that extracellular elastase release during acute pyelonephritis may contribute to subsequent renal parenchymal damage, we compared the intracellular and extracellular activities of the lysozyme elastase of human polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) when incubated in vitro with bacterial strains causing renal infection that led to either renal damage or no damage. Urine bacterial cultures were obtained from patients with acute pyelonephritis (flank pain, costovertebral angle tenderness, fever > 38 degrees C, bacteriuria, pyuria, and leukocytosis). Renal damage was demonstrated by cortical scarring on followup intravenous pyelography and/or diminished function on 131iodine hippuran renal scan. Mean extracellular elastase activity (mu units/PMN) was 0.15 for unstimulated PMN, 0.07 for PMN stimulated by bacteria not associated with renal damage, and 1.20 for the PMN stimulated by strains associated with renal damage. Mean intracellular elastase activity (mu units/PMN) was 3.73 for unstimulated PMN, 3.48 for PMN stimulated by bacteria not associated with renal damage, and 3.31 for the PMN stimulated by strains associated with renal damage. Extracellular granulocyte elastase activity was thus significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in PMN stimulated by bacterial strains associated with renal damage. Extracellular release of elastase may contribute to the pathogenesis of renal damage in pyelonephritis.
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PMID:The possible role of granulocyte elastase in renal damage from acute pyelonephritis. 858 15

Lysozyme has been shown to be associated with damaged elastic fibers in many tissues and organs. To better characterize this interaction, binding of lysozyme to elastin was studied using solution-based binding assays. Under physiologic conditions, radio-labeled lysozyme bound specifically to elastin in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Binding was reversible and was inhibited by unlabeled human and hen lysozyme but not by other proteins. Lysozyme had no elastolytic activity as assessed by a standard tritium-release assay, but, importantly, prevented the proteolytic degradation of elastin by human leukocyte elastase, pancreatic elastase, thermolysin, and Pseudomonas elastase. A striking feature of lysozyme's anti-elastase activity was that it did not function in the classical sense of inhibiting directly the enzymatic activity of the protease. Instead, by binding to elastin, lysozyme prevented the protease from interacting with the elastin substrate in ways that normally favor proteolysis. These results show that lysozyme binds to the elastin component of elastic fibers and that this interaction has important biological consequences for elastic fiber degradation. By preventing degradation of elastin, lysozyme can function as an important natural inhibitor that exerts a protective effect on elastic fibers at sites of tissue injury.
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PMID:Lysozyme binds to elastin and protects elastin from elastase-mediated degradation. 861 42

A 39-year-old Japanese woman had been receiving propylthiouracil for 5 years for hyperthyroidism when she developed myalgia, scleritis, proteinuria, fever, and inflammation of the nose. Examination of a renal biopsy specimen showed focal segmental necrotizing glomerulonephritis. Indirect immunofluorescent staining showed a highly positive perinuclear pattern of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in her serum. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of the ANCA showed positivity for anti-proteinase 3, anti-myeloperoxidase, anti-leukocyte elastase, and anti-lactoferrin, but anti-cathepsin G and anti-lysozyme were negative. Because ELISA showed the titer of anti-leukocyte elastase antibody to be markedly elevated, we challenged this data by performing dot blot analysis. The patient's serum reacted with the native form, but not with denatured leukocyte elastase. Propylthiouracil-induced vasculitis was suspected. Symptoms abated within 2 weeks and all values of ANCA were reduced after the drug was withdrawn. Vasculitis is a rare side-effect of propylthiouracil therapy. Recently it was reported in association with ANCA. We present the findings of this patient and compare them with those described in 19 published cases of propylthiouracil-induced vasculitis associated with ANCA.
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PMID:Case of propylthiouracil-induced vasculitis associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA); review of literature. 918 Dec 82

This prospective study was designed to determine the role of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) in HIV-infected patients. Immunofluorescence tests (IFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were applied to sera of 199 consecutive outpatients. In the IFT 20% were positive. An atypical ANCA pattern was demonstrated in 67% of these, 33% revealed a perinuclear staining (pANCA). Specific ELISA revealed proteinase 3 (n = 2), myeloperoxidase (n = 1), lysozyme (n = 2), lactoferrin (n = 1), cathepsin G (n = 1), and human leukocyte elastase (HLE, n = 6). The target antigen remained unidentified in 26 patients. Perinuclear ANCA-positive patients showed atypical antigens in eight of 13 cases; all six patients with anti-HLE revealed a pANCA pattern. The antigens of atypical ANCA-positive patients remained unidentified in 21 of 26 (81%) cases. No signs of vasculitis were present in the ANCA-positive patients. ANCA are frequently found in the sera of HIV-positive patients. They bind to a variety of antigens. No correlation was found between ANCA positivity and autoimmune or opportunistic diseases.
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PMID:Seroprevalence and disease association of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies and antigens in HIV infection. 1021 37

Local allergen challenge causes nasal hypersecretion and also causes local leukotriene (LT) release, including LTB(4). Because LTB(4) causes leukocyte recruitment, and because neutrophil elastase is a potent secretagogue, we examined the hypothesis that LTB(4) causes nasal hypersecretion via neutrophil elastase. We developed a method for isolating and superfusing a nasal segment in dogs. Instillation of LTB(4) into the nasal segment caused a time-dependent increase in the volume of airway fluid, in lysozyme secretion, and in the recruitment of neutrophils. ICI 200,355, a selective inhibitor of neutrophil elastase, prevented LTB(4)-induced nasal secretion and lysozyme secretion, but it had no effect on neutrophil recruitment. We conclude that LTB(4) causes potent nasal secretion via release of elastase, and therefore LTB(4) may play a major role in allergic nasal hypersecretion.
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PMID:LTB(4)-induced nasal gland serous cell secretion mediated by neutrophil elastase. 1043 Jul 6

Mucus hypersecretion is an important characteristic of many airway diseases. Mucin is the major component of mucus, and is secreted from surface goblet cells of the airway epithelium and mucous cells of submucosal glands. Lysozyme is an enzyme secreted by serous cells of airway submucosal glands. We hypothesized that secretagogues acting through different pathways would have different effects on tracheal mucin and lysozyme secretion. We used a sandwich enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) to measure mucin-like glycoprotein secretion and a spectrophotometric method to measure lysozyme secretion from isolated ferret tracheal segments. We evaluated the secretory response to four secretagogues; prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), methacholine (MCh), and human neutrophil elastase (HNE). Each agent stimulated mucin and lysozyme secretion. The relative potency was PGF(2alpha)< or =ATP<MCh<HNE for mucin and ATP< or =PGF(2alpha)<MCh<HNE for lysozyme secretion. We showed that there is an anatomic gradient for constitutive and stimulated mucin and lysozyme secretion with the distal tracheal segments secreting more mucin and lysozyme per gram of tissue than the proximal segments. This robust model system can be used to evaluate the regulation of airway mucous and serous cell secretion and to assess the effect of agents that might alter the secretory response. We confirm that on an equimolar basis, HNE is one of the most potent mucus secretagogues.
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PMID:Regulation of secretion from mucous and serous cells in the excised ferret trachea. 1134 43

Pentosan polysulfate (NaPPS) and chondroitin sulfates (ChSs) have recently been shown to exhibit both symptom and disease modifying activities in osteoarthritis (OA), but their respective mechanisms of action are still the subject of conjecture. Excessive catabolism of joint articular cartilage is considered to be responsible for the initiation and progression of OA but the abilities of these drugs to mitigate this process has received only limited attention. Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a proteinase, which can degrade the collagens and proteoglycans (PGs) of the cartilage directly or indirectly by activating latent matrix metalloproteinases. Hyaluronidase (HAase) is an endoglycosidase, which degrades glycosaminoglycans including hyaluronan, which provides the aggregating component of the PG aggrecan complex. In the present study the molecular interactions between the NaPPS, ChSs and some other sulfated polysaccharides with immobilized HNE, HAase or lysozyme (a cationic protein implicated in PG metabolism) were studied using a SPR biosensor device-BIAcore2000. The above three enzymes were covalently immobilized to a biosensor chip CM5 separately using amine coupling. The binding affinity of each sulfated polysaccharide and the kinetics of NaPPS over the concentration range of 0.3-5.0 microg/ml were determined. The inhibition of HNE by the sulfated polysaccharides as determined using the synthetic substrate succinyl-Ala-Ala-Val-nitroanilide (SAAVNA) in a functional assay was compared with their respective binding affinities for this proteinase using the BIAcore system. The results obtained with the two independent techniques showed good correlation and indicated that the degree and ring positions of oligosaccharide sulfation were major determinants of enzyme inhibitory activity. The observed difference in order of binding affinities of the drugs to the immobilized HNE, HAase and lysozyme suggests a conformational relationship, in addition to the charge interactions between the sulfate esters of the polysaccharides and the cationic amino acids of the enzymes. Significantly, the SPR biosensor technology demonstrated that small differences among sulfated polysaccharides, even subtle variations among different NaPPS batches, could be readily detected. The SPR technology therefore offers not only a sensitive and reproducible method for ranking noncompetitive enzyme inhibitors for drug discovery but a rapid and quantitative bioassay for monitoring batch consistency of manufacture.
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PMID:Biosensor analysis of the molecular interactions of pentosan polysulfate and of sulfated glycosaminoglycans with immobilized elastase, hyaluronidase and lysozyme using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology. 1256 52

The poor outcome of intraportal islet transplantation may be explained by the instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR), characterized by islet entrapment in blood clots, leucocyte infiltration and disruption of islet morphology. Here we employ a newly developed in vitro system to identify the blood cells involved in this process. Islets were mixed with ABO-compatible blood in heparinized tubes and incubated for various times up to 6 h. Clots were analysed immunohistochemically for detection of platelets (CD41a), leucocytes/lymphocytes (CD11b), granulocytes (CD16, lysozyme), neutrophilic granulocytes (neutrophil elastase), eosinophilic granulocytes (NaCN + H(2)O(2)), macrophages (CD68), dendritic cells (CD209/DC-SIGN), B cells (CD20) and T cells (CD4, CD8). Platelets were rapidly deposited around the islets in contact with the blood, reaching a maximum by 30 min. The first neutrophilic granulocytes appeared in the islets after 15 min, increased at 1 h and peaked at 2 h. Small numbers of macrophages were found infiltrating the islets already after 5 min, with a slight increase over time. However, control stainings of cultured islets and pancreas biopsies identified these cells as being largely of donor origin. No T cells, B cells, dendritic cells or eosinophilic granulocytes were detected during the 6 h observation time. Neutrophilic granulocytes were identified as the main infiltrating blood cell in islets exposed to blood, implying that these cells play a key role in clinical islet transplantation. Because islets are known to be exquisitely susceptible to oxidative stress, development of drugs targeting neutrophilic cytotoxicity could markedly improve the outcome of islet transplantation.
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PMID:Neutrophilic granulocytes are the predominant cell type infiltrating pancreatic islets in contact with ABO-compatible blood. 1617 66

Extensive copy number polymorphism was recently reported for innate immunity-related alpha-defensin genes DEFA1 and DEFA3 and beta-defensin genes DEFB4, DEFB103, and DEFB104. To establish whether such polymorphisms are a common feature of innate immune genes we used quantitative real-time PCR to determine the copy numbers of seven genes whose products have important innate immune functions. The genes encoding lysozyme, lactoferrin, cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (hCAP18/LL-37), cathepsin G, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, azurocidin (CAP37/heparin-binding protein), and neutrophil elastase were each found to be single copy per haploid genome. These findings, along with the recent observation that defensin genes DEFA4, DEFA5, DEFA6, and DEFB1 are single copy, suggest that copy number polymorphisms are not a common feature of the innate immune genome but are restricted to a small subset of innate immunity-related genes.
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PMID:Copy number polymorphisms are not a common feature of innate immune genes. 1661 5


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