PMN Elastase Levels Research Articles

Pulmonary hypertension and polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase after esophageal cancer operations

To evaluate the role of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) elastase in pulmonary impairment occurring after operation for esophageal cancer, 10 patients were randomized preoperatively into two equal groups. One group received a placebo infusion and the other, an infusion of the PMN elastase inhibitor ulinastatin. In the placebo group, the mean plasma PMN elastase level increased from 154 ± 23 μg/L preoperatively to 449 ± 56 μg/L at 6 hours postoperatively (p < 0.01), whereas the mean plasma fibronectin concentration decreased from 490 ± 70 μg/mL preoperatively to 265 ± 81 μg/mL on postoperative day 2 (p < 0.01). The mean pulmonary vascular resistance increased markedly from 151 ± 24 dynes · s · cm−5 · m−2 preoperatively to 284 ± 76 dynes · s · cm−5 · m−2 at 6 hours postoperatively (p < 0.01). In the group given ulinastatin, 150,000 units every 12 hours from the start of the operation, the mean PMN elastase value at 6 hours posioperatively was lower (275 ± 66 μg/L; p < 0.01) and the fibronectin level on postoperative days 1 and 2, higher (p < 0.05). A lower pulmonary vascular resistance was noted into day 2 (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that PMN elastase may participate in the development of postoperative pulmonary impairment.

Evaluation of granulocyte elastase as a seminal plasma marker for leukocytospermia

To evaluate the relationship between concentrations of the granulocytic enzyme polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase in seminal plasma and the presence of high numbers of white blood cells (WBC) in semen, specimens from 118 infertility patients were analyzed for each variable. PMN-elastase levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and WBC numbers by a recently described immunohistologic technique. PMN-elastase levels in seminal plasma correlated well with WBC numbers in semen (r = +0.755). A three-step grading system of PMN-elastase values as low/normal (less than 250 ng/ml), intermediate (250 to 1000 ng/ml) and high/pathologic (greater than 1000 ng/ml) showed a highly significant relationship to a similar WBC number grading system: low/normal, less than 10(5) WBC/ml, intermediate, 10(5) to 10(6) WBC/ml, and high/leukocytospermic, greater than 10(6) WBC/ml semen. Incubation of semen at 37 degrees C resulted in a slight continuous decrease of immunoreactive PMN-elastase at a rate of approximately 10% per 3 hours. As all 18 samples with more than 1000 ng PMN-elastase per ml seminal plasma showed more than 10(6) WBC/ml semen, PMN-elastase levels above 1000 ng/ml were diagnostic for leukocytospermia.