Identification of antileucoprotease in remodelled human adult nasal surface epithelium

Abstract

Antileucoprotease (ALP) is generally considered as a specific marker for glandular serous cells, and plays a major role in the defence of the respiratory tract against proteolytic damage. Nevertheless, several studies have identified ALP in bronchial and bronchiolar surface epithelial cells, and also an increased number of ALP-containing cells in bronchiolar tissue during the development of pulmonary diseases. In order to define more clearly whether the surface epithelium might be involved in the defence of the respiratory mucosa, we have investigated the expression of ALP by cells of the nasal surface epithelium.Indirect immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization for ALP were performed on human nasal polyp sections. The height of the surface epithelium, its morphology, and the degree of local inflammation were assessed in parallel.Surface epithelium morphology was highly heterogeneous. ALP-containing cells were identified, but only in remodelled areas of the surface epithelium (foldings, basal cell and/or mucous cell hyperplasia), with no association to the degree of inflammation.These results demonstrate that the surface epithelial cells of the human adult nasal mucosa can express ALP in remodelled surface epithelium, and may be actively involved in the biochemical defence of the airways. Eur Respir J., 1995, 8, 15-21.

Allergenic Activity of a Major Grass Pollen Allergen Is Elevated in the Presence of Nasal Secretion

“…The composition of active enzymes, especially proteases in the nasal mucosa is not fully understood, and little is known about their activity (28,29). The most important proteases of the respiratory mucosa are contributed by the mucosal mast cells (30) with the predominant proteases such as tryptase, chymase, and carboxypeptidase.…”

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor concentration increases in amniotic fluid with the onset of labour in women: characterization of sites of release within the uterus

“…In addition, it has recently been shown to inhibit the release of matrix metalloproteinases by monocytes via inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (Zhang et al 1997) and the lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor, NF B ( Jin et al 1997). Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor is found in monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (Ohlsson et al 1996) and is secreted in large amounts from bronchial epithelium (Marchand et al 1995) and mucus-secreting glands (Bergenfeldt et al 1996) where it acts as an important mediator of innate mucosal immunity.…”