ヒト血清中のエラスターゼ活性とプロテアーゼインヒビターとの関係について

抄録

Elastase activity in human serum was exerted in two different modes when it was determined by a fruorometric method in time-course manner: that is, when the elastase activity was higher in some patients, the enzyme activity showed no lag phase, while when it was lower in other patients, it showed some lag phase in the enzyme activity expression.
Addition of exogeneous elastase in vitro to human serum showed the increase in elastase activity in the serum as the lag phase manner.
The relation between the elastase activity and the α1-antitrypsin (the inhibitor of the enzyme) level in pancreatomized patients was examined, and it was found that serum elastase once increased after the pancreatomizing operation was lowered as the α1-antitrypsin level increased.
The relation between the elastase activity and the inhibitor (α1-antitrypsin and α2-macroglobulin) levels was examined in connection with aging. In contrast with above pancreatomized and pancreatitic cases, both the elastase activity and the inhibitor levels were lower in the aged persons.
It can be assumed that elastase activity in human serum is present as inactive form with the inhibitor, which is of regulating the elastase activity in serum and maintaining the activity at a certain level for physiological requirements.