PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Tremblay, Guy M.
AU  - Wolbink, Angela M.
AU  - Cormier, Yvon
AU  - Hack, C. Erik
TI  - Granzyme Activity in the Inflamed Lung Is Not Controlled by Endogenous Serine Proteinase Inhibitors
AID  - 10.4049/jimmunol.165.7.3966
DP  - 2000 Oct 01
TA  - The Journal of Immunology
PG  - 3966--3969
VI  - 165
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/165/7/3966.short
4100  - http://www.jimmunol.org/content/165/7/3966.full
SO  - J. Immunol.2000 Oct 01; 165
AB  - Numerous lung diseases, such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), are characterized by the presence of activated alveolar CTL and NK cells. Since these cells produce granzymes, granzyme A and B levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids from 14 normal subjects and 12 patients with HP were measured by ELISA. Median (range) BAL granzyme A and B levels were 4 (0–37) and 0 (0–6) pg/ml in normal subjects. BAL granzyme levels were significantly higher in HP patients, being at 74 (0–1889) and 10 (0–78) pg/ml for granzymes A and B, respectively. In vitro, neither of the three main serine protease inhibitors of the lung, namely α1-antitrypsin, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, and elafin, showed any effect on granzyme A or B activity. In addition, granzyme A was shown to be fully active in BAL fluids. Hence, these data show that granzyme activity may be poorly controlled by protease inhibitors in inflamed tissues. Thus, granzymes could contribute to tissue remodeling and inflammation characterizing HP.