Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0042384 (vasculitis)
 20,525 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Vasculitis is a rare complication of propylthiouracil therapy. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been described in association with several vasculitic disorders. We report detection of ANCA against human neutrophil elastase, proteinase 3, and myeloperoxidase in serum from six patients who developed evidence of vasculitis during propylthiouracil treatment of hyperthyroidism. On withdrawal of the drug ANCA concentrations fell and clinical symptoms resolved completely.
 ...
PMID:Vasculitis and antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies associated with propylthiouracil therapy. 810 48

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.
 ...
PMID:Molecular characteristics of anti-self antibody fragments against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens from human V gene phage display libraries. 853 74

Using immunoperoxidase techniques, we examined the histological changes of exercise-induced lesions of urticarial vasculitis over a 24 h period. At 3 h, endothelial swelling and an eosinophilic infiltrate was seen. Neutrophils were increased in number by 10 h. Typical leucocytoclastic vasculitis with red blood cell extravasation developed by 24 h. Maximal deposition of eosinophil peroxidase was at 10 h compared to significant neutrophil elastase deposits at 24 h. This demonstrates the importance of the eosinophil in the development of the lesions of urticarial vasculitis.
 ...
PMID:Time-course analyses of exercise-induced lesions in a patient with urticarial vasculitis. 871 15

Proteinase 3 is the major target antigen of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) in Wegener's granulomatosis and is contained in the azurophilic granules of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, the dominant cell type in vascular lesions during the early stages of systemic vasculitis. This study questioned whether neutrophil lysosomal enzymes, once released at the site of inflammation, are able to potentiate the influx of additional neutrophils by enhancing the production of the chemotactic cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) by endothelial cells. Therefore, human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture were incubated with varying concentrations of highly purified proteinase 3, human neutrophil elastase, and cathepsin G for different time periods. The supernatants were subsequently assessed for IL-8 antigen by using a sandwich ELISA. The presence of both proteinase 3 and elastase resulted in an increased production of IL-8, up to 15.6- and 4.2-fold, respectively, in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Cathepsin G did not influence IL-8 production. Although the addition of an alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor completely abrogated elastase-mediated IL-8 production, it did not significantly influence the effect of proteinase 3. Both proteinase 3-and elastase-mediated production of IL-8 was inhibited by cycloheximide, indicating de novo synthesis. This was supported by the finding of increased IL-8 mRNA levels in proteinase 3-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells by using Northern blot analysis. Taken together, the neutrophil lysosomal enzymes proteinase 3 and human neutrophil elastase may contribute to a self-perpetuating process of neutrophil recruitment in acute inflammation by increasing de novo synthesis of IL-8 by endothelial cells. The studies presented here also show that proteinase 3 mediates its effect independently of its enzymatic activity, indicating a hitherto unknown mode of action on endothelial cells.
 ...
PMID:Proteinase 3, the major autoantigen of Wegener's granulomatosis, enhances IL-8 production by endothelial cells in vitro. 873 4

To assess the pathogenetic mechanisms of renal vasculitis, we performed immunohistochemical studies using renal biopsy specimens which were obtained from a patient with microscopic polyangiitis during both the acute and the convalescent phase. Intense infiltration and aggregation of neutrophil elastase positive (NE+) cells were observed especially in the periglomerular and perivascular areas in the first biopsy in which vascular necrosis, rupture of Bowman's capsule, and necrotizing glomerulonephritis were present. In addition to intracellular NE expression, NE was also expressed extracellularly in both segmental glomerular tufts and the interstitium. Intensity of NE immunoreactivity in the glomeruli was closely correlated with the development of glomerular necrotizing lesions and crescents, but no such correlation was detected with the infiltration of macrophages, T cells or B cells. In the second biopsy (convalescent phase), patchy intracellular NE expression was present in the interstitium, but no aggregation of NE+ cells or extracellular NE expression was detected in either the glomeruli or the interstitium. These findings suggest that recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in perivascular and periglomerular areas as well as in glomerular tufts, and subsequent extracellular release of NE in situ may play an important role in the development of renal vasculitis characterized by vascular necrosis, rupture of Bowman's capsule, and tuft necrosis.
 ...
PMID:Role of neutrophil elastase in the development of renal necrotizing vasculitis. 886 94

Extravascular fibrin formation and dissolution is a pivotal event in numerous inflammatory and malignant diseases. In inflammatory cells such as monocytes/macrophages, neutrophil granulocytes appear to interact intimately with hemostasis and regulate the activity of the cascade systems of coagulation and fibrinolysis. Proteases such as neutrophil elastase are thought to influence components of hemostasis, and furthermore provide an alternative pathway of fibrinolysis. Histological, experimental, and clinical data suggest that extravascular fibrinolysis, mediated both by the plasmin system and by proteases like neutrophil elastase, is a prominent finding in various diseases such as lung cancer, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, vasculitis and connective tissue disease, bacterial sepsis, and septic shock.
 ...
PMID:The role of inflammatory cells and their proteases in extravascular fibrinolysis. 912 14

We describe a rare case of systemic vasculitis associated with alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1-AT) deficiency. Mutational analysis of the alpha1-AT gene in this patient revealed a homozygous alpha1-AT Mnichinan variant. Alpha1-AT possesses broad-spectrum inhibitory activity against many serine proteases, including human neutrophil elastase, to help maintaining the crucial balance between proteases and protease inhibitors. The increase in free protease activity in the context of alpha1-AT deficiency may induce exacerbation of the vasculitis. This serious genetic defect severely affects the balance between a protease and a protease inhibitor at the pathological site.
 ...
PMID:Systemic vasculitis associated with alphal-antitrypsin deficiency. 1287 44

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCAs) recognizing human proteinase 3 of neutrophil granules are a diagnostic hallmark of Wegener granulomatosis, an autoimmune systemic vasculitis with predilection for the respiratory tract and kidneys. In vitro experiments have implicated several mechanisms by which ANCAs may lead to tissue injury. However, little is known about the pathogenic significance of proteinase 3-specific antibodies in vivo. In vivo models for ANCA-mediated proinflammatory effects have not been forthcoming, primarily because ANCA epitopes on human proteinase 3 are not shared by the murine homolog. In this study we generated ANCAs against recombinant murine proteinase 3 in proteinase 3/neutrophil elastase-deficient mice that recognized the murine antigen on the surface of neutrophils. Local inflammation induced by intradermal injection of tumor necrosis factor alpha triggered a stronger subcutaneous panniculitis in the presence of passively transferred systemic proteinase 3-ANCAs than in the presence of mock immune serum. When we transferred mouse proteinase 3-ANCA serum to systemically lipopolysaccharide-primed wild-type mice, mice treated with proteinase 3-ANCAs did not develop significantly stronger signs of inflammation of the lungs or kidneys than the respective mock immune serum-treated animals. In conclusion, our in vivo study provides the first evidence for a pathogenic effect of proteinase 3-specific ANCAs at local sites of inflammation.
 ...
PMID:Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies against the murine homolog of proteinase 3 (Wegener autoantigen) are pathogenic in vivo. 1515 76

Urticaria is characterized by transient wheals. We report here five cases with long-lasting urticarial lesions persisting for more than 24 hours. Each lesion left purpura after fading. There was no systemic involvement. C-reactive protein and serum levels of complement were elevated or normal. Histologically, marked infiltration by eosinophils and neutrophils with karyorrhexis in the perivascular and intercollagenous spaces was observed, but there was no evidence of vasculitis (venulitis). Skin symptoms were resistant to systemic corticosteroids. In contrast, treatment of underlying bacterial infections resulted in marked improvement of skin lesions. E-selectin, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were expressed on endothelial cells. Marked deposition of C3a, C5a, neutrophil elastase and major basic protein in the dermis was observed. These urticarial lesions provoked by bacterial infections seem to lie on the continuum between urticaria and urticarial vasculitis.
 ...
PMID:Infectious urticaria with purpura: a mild subtype of urticarial vasculitis? 1582 15

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile syndrome of childhood, characterized by vasculitis of the medium-sized arteries. White blood cell counts and the inflammatory parameter C-reactive protein (CRP) are known to be elevated in the acute phase of the disease. In this study we investigated the course of inflammatory cell type-specific parameters in KD over a longer period of time. Plasma levels of human neutrophil elastase (HNE), matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 (MMP2, MMP9), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), macrophage neopterin and CRP were measured. Plasma samples were collected in the acute, subacute and early convalescent stage, and three months after the onset of disease. Median CRP and neopterin normalized within two weeks. In contrast, six weeks and three months after onset of disease, levels of HNE were still elevated, with median values of 163 ng/ml and 156 ng/ml, respectively (control children median < 50 ng/ml; for all time-points P < 0.0001). Values of NGAL correlated with the levels of HNE (r = 0.39, P = 0.013). These results demonstrate a longer state of neutrophil activation in KD than was previously assumed. The potential relationship between this prolonged neutrophil activation, coronary artery lesion formation and their persistence, as well as the risk of premature atherosclerosis warrants further evaluation.
 ...
PMID:Sustained activation of neutrophils in the course of Kawasaki disease: an association with matrix metalloproteinases. 1595 85


1 2 3 Next >>