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Granulocyte neutral proteases and Pseudomonas elastase as possible causes of airway damage in patients with cystic fibrosis.

We studied the possible role of granulocyte neutral proteases as mediators of airway destruction in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We measured the enzymatic activities of bronchial secretions on purified radioactively labeled complement component three (C3), elastin, and a granulocyte elastase-specific substrate. Bronchial secretions from 18 patients with CF who were infected with P aeruginosa had a significantly higher mean value for C3 cleaving, elastolytic, and granulocyte elastase-like activity than did two control groups. High enzymatic activities were observed in patients with CF who have advanced bronchial disease (that had been determined by a clinical scoring system). Kinetics of proteolysis of radioactively labeled C3 and inhibition profiles of the activities of the three enzymatic activities studied suggest that they are mainly derived from granulocytes. In addition, 20 of 31 strains of P aeruginosa isolated from patients with CF inactivated purified alpha 1-antiprotease in vitro. We postulate that granulocyte neutral proteases and P aeruginosa may act synergistically in the airways of patients with CF and may contribute to the destruction of elastin and inactivation of C3.