Low Molecular Weight Trypsin-Plasmin Inhibitors Isolated from Papain Treated Urinary Trypsin Inhibitor

Antiprotease activity in urine of patients with inflammatory skin disorders

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes contain well-defined proteolytic enzymes in their azurophilic granules that can be released into tissues during inflammation, producing a localized excess of proteases that causes a protease-antiprotease imbalance with subsequent tissue destruction. The antiproteolytic compounds of the epidermis, such as the protease inhibitors elafin and antileukoprotease, are thought to counteract the proteolytic tissue damage. We investigated the urine of patients suffering from inflammatory skin conditions (e.g., erysipelas, psoriasis) for the presence of urinary antiprotease activities. Purification of elastase-inhibitory activities from pooled urine samples by cation exchange high-performance liquid chromatography and preparative and analytical reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography yielded two different types of inhibitors. One was a cationic, acid-stable, and elastase-specific inhibitor of M(r) 6,000 by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography. N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the first 28 residues showed identity with elafin, an elastase-specific inhibitor recently isolated from psoriatic scales. The second anti-protease activity was due to two forms of urinary bikunin, the inhibitory subunit of inter-alpha-inhibitor. Both bikunin fragments, with M(r) 4,000 and 16,000, were identified by N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the first 10 residues and were characterized by an antiproteolytic profile against human leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, and trypsin. Urinary protease inhibitors may serve as diagnostic markers of inflammatory diseases.

Charge isomers of urinary bikunin (trypsin inhibitor)

It was observed that the purified urinary bikunin (trypsin inhibitor) consisted of four major isomers with different electric charges which could be separated by HPLC using a Mono Q column. These isomers revealed the same antitrypsin activity and did not show any differences in the apparent molecular weight by SDS-PAGE, amino-acid composition, N-terminal amino-acid sequence (1-40) and C-terminal amino acid (Leu). The contents of sialic acid and uronic acid were also identical among these isomers. However, analysis of chondroitin sulfate revealed all the glycosaminoglycan chains of these isomers were undersulfated, comprising nonsulfated and 4-sulfated disaccharide units, and 4-sulfated disaccharide unit ratio varied among these isomers. After the chondroitin ABC lyase digestion, all the isomers were eluted at the same position on a Mono Q column chromatography. These results indicated that charge isomers of urinary bikunin was attributed to the difference on sulfation ratio in a glycosaminoglycan chain.

Indirect strong inhibition by acid-stable trypsin-plasmin inhibitor (ASTPI) of the activations of elastase and plasma fibrinolysis in a dog model of acute pancreatitis

Acid-stable trypsin-plasmin inhibitor (ASTPI) had almost no direct effect on the increased levels of the plasma enzymes elastase, plasmin and plasminogen activators in an acute pancreatitis model in the dog, whereas it strongly inhibited the activation of such enzymes by intravenous administration. In vivo experiments also showed strong inhibition by ASTPI of pancreas tissue elastase and plasma fibrinolysis. Anti-shock and anti-pancreatitis effects of ASTPI observed in clinical therapy may be related to this "indirect inhibition".

Automated measurement of trypsin inhibitor in urine with a centrifugal analyzer: comparison with other acute phase reactants

Automated measurement of trypsin inhibitor in urine was performed with good precision using the COBAS FARA. Elevated levels of both trypsin inhibitor in urine and acute phase proteins in serum were shown in most cases of major abdominal surgery. We suggest that the automated assay of urinary trypsin inhibitor might be useful for the clinical diagnosis of acute phase response.

Distribution of acid stable trypsin inhibitor immunoreactivity in normal and malignant human tissues

The distribution and localization of acid stable trypsin inhibitor (ASTI) in normal and malignant human tissues from various organs were examined using immunohistochemical techniques that used goat antibody raised against highly purified ASTI from human urine. Tissues were assessed as positive only when they were stained by both the biotin-avidin-peroxidase complex system and biotin-streptavidin-beta-galactosidase complex system, and the staining was abolished by absorption with purified ASTI. Under normal conditions, ASTI immunoreactivity was observed in only a few organs. Positive tissues for ASTI immunoreactivity included the kidney proximal tubules, glial cells of the cerebrum, fibrillar structures of the lamina propria of the stomach and colon, and bronchial epithelial cells. No ASTI immunoreactivity was observed in the cardiovascular system, reproductive system, or other tissues examined. As is not the case for normal tissues, ASTI immunoreactivity was found to be widely distributed in malignant tumors. Staining was observed in the extracellular space, i.e., in the stroma of the tumor and in connective tissues around the tumor invasion, whereas no ASTI immunoreactivity was detected in the malignant cells. Considering the identity of the first 36 NH2-terminal residues of ASTI purified from plasma or urine with a recently reported endothelial cell growth factor, the present findings suggest that ASTI could play an important role, not limited to its function as a protease inhibitor, in the invasive growth of malignant neoplasms.

Strong activity of acid-stable trypsin inhibitor in bovine thrombin for clinical use

Strong activity of acid-stable trypsin inhibitor (ASTI) was confirmed in some clinical thrombin preparations. Thrombin preparations of human plasma origin had no detectable ASTI activity, whereas some preparations of bovine plasma origin revealed more than 5,000 U/vial (5,000 thrombin units), indicating a higher content of ASTI than of thrombin in terms of protein concentration. Contamination by other biologically active substances was also suggested by variations in amidolytic activity with several synthetic substrates (S-2238, S-2251, S-2444, S-2266 and Bz-L-Arg-pNA). On isoelectric focussing, the ASTI activities migrated in acidic positions with pI values of 3.9, 4.5, 5.0, 5.9 and 6.5, respectively. They were almost parallel to the thrombin Bz-L-Arg-pNA hydrolytic activity, and differed from that of the purified thrombin preparation (pI = 7.0). By gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, the molecular weights of the inhibitors as calculated using standard proteins were 140,000 (main), 70,000 and less than 10,000 (minor), respectively. An immunological difference between the main inhibitor (pI = 3.9, mol wt 140,000) and previously reported plasma ASTI was also confirmed with goat anti-UTI serum by the double immunodiffusion and ELISA methods. The inhibitor exerted a strong inhibitory effect not only on trypsin and chymotrypsin, but also on non-plasmic fibrinolysis with human leukocyte elastase, and to a lesser extent on the blood coagulation system (lengthening of APTT and PT). Clearly, when using thrombin preparations and analyzing the data obtained after their administration, the effects of this and other contaminant biologically active substances must be taken into account.

Acid-stable trypsin-plasmin inhibitors formed enzymatically from plasma precursor protein

Enzymatic formation of acid-stable trypsin-plasmin inhibitors (ASTPIs) in human plasma with several proteinases, particularly SH-proteinases, was demonstrated. The maximal activity obtained with bromelain was 40 U/ml plasma, which corresponded to about a 10-fold increase as compared to the untreated control plasma (4.2 U/ml). Gel filtration revealed at least two ASTPI activity peaks of molecular weight 16,000 (main peak) and 8000 (minor peak). The main ASTPI was further purified by trypsin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, isoelectric focusing and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 superfine. The purified inhibitor was found to be identical to the active fragment of plasma ASTPI or urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) formed by bromelain treatment. It had an isoelectric point (pI) of 3.7, a molecular weight of 16,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and was a glycine- and glutamic acid-rich protein lacking histidine. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence was H2N-(Lys)-Glu-Asp-Ser-X-Gln-Leu-Gly-Tyr-Ser-Ala-Gly-Pro-X-Met-Gly-Met-Th r-X-Arg - Tyr-Phe-Tyr-... COOH, which was homologous to the Lys22-Met36 part (or Glu23-Met36 part; 30% of the total) of the plasma ASTPI or UTI molecule (molecular weight 70,000-80,000 by gel filtration). The purified ASTPI displayed the same antigenicity as UTI and exerted strong inhibitory effects on trypsin, chymotrypsin and plasmin amidolysis, but had a much lesser effect on plasmin fibrinolysis. It also strongly inhibited non-plasmic fibrinolysis with human leukocyte proteinase and earthworm proteinase.

A protease inhibitor from human allergic nasal secretions

Protease and antiprotease activities were estimated in nasal secretions from patients with chronic sinusitis and nasal allergy, using [3H]-casein as substrate. In the purulent nasal secretions, strong protease activity was measured, but there was less activity in the allergic nasal secretions. In contrast, trypsin inhibitory activity in allergic nasal secretions was much higher than in nasal secretions from the patients with chronic sinusitis. A protease inhibitor was partially isolated from nasal secretions of the nasal allergic patients by Sephadex G-150 gel chromatography and characterized. This protease inhibitor has an apparent molecular weight of 10,000 D, determined by SDS-polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis. It depresses the activities of bovine pancreatic trypsin, bovine pancreatic chymotrypsin and proteases in nasal purulent secretions, whereas it does not inhibit porcine pancreatic elastase, papain, or human plasmin.

Acid stable trypsin inhibitor in bile

Acid stable trypsin inhibitor having the same antigenicity as urinary trypsin inhibitor was first identified in the bile of patients with malignant tumors (biliary tract carcinoma or pancreas head carcinoma) and gallstones. Bile trypsin inhibitor from malignant tumor patients was partially purified by DEAE cellulose ion exchange column chromatography. Two molecular forms of the inhibitor were identified. The main form had a molecular weight of about 86,000 and the minor one a molecular weight of 31,000 as determined by gel filtration. Using isoelectric focussing, the larger molecular form gave a pI value of 2.0 and the smaller form, a pI value of 5.1. The isolated larger form migrated on the slightly cationic side of human serum albumin by analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The larger form reacted and fused with anti-urinary trypsin inhibitor serum and strongly inhibited trypsin, partially inhibited chymotrypsin and plasmin, but did not inhibit urokinase. The clinical significance of acid stable trypsin inhibitor is discussed.

Elastase digested urokinase (ED-UK)

Elastase digested urokinase (ED-UK) was prepared from human high mol. wt urokinase (HMW-UK). It resembled low mol. wt urokinase (LMW-UK) in its mol. wt, specific activity, and active sites. The steady-state kinetic parameters of each enzyme for the activation of human Glu-plasminogen also resembled each other, as did their amidase parameters (with pyro-Glu-Gly-Arg-pNA).

Human urinary proteinase inhibitor: inhibitory properties and interaction with bovine trypsin

The major urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) was found to inhibit bovine chymotrypsin and human leucocyte elastase strongly, cathepsin G weakly. No inhibition of porcine pancreatic elastase was observed. The stoichiometry of the inhibition of bovine trypsin by UTI was determined spectrophotometrically to be 1:2 (I/E molar ratio). After incubation of UTI with this enzyme in various molar ratios, two complexes (C1 and C2) could be visualized in alkaline polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. C1 was isolated by affinity chromatography on Con-A Sepharose. In dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, C1 was dissociated to give an inhibitory band with the same electrophoretic mobility as native UTI. C2 released an active inhibitory fragment with Mr near 20000. A time-course study demonstrated that at a molar ratio I/E of 1.5:1, the C2 complex appears after two hours of incubation.

Further purification and characterization of acid-stable protease inhibitor from ascites of an ovarian carcinoma patient

An acid-stable protease inhibitor (AS-PI) has been previously demonstrated in ascitic fluid from patients with ovarian carcinoma. In this study, the AS-PI was further purified using DEAE-cellulose and isoelectric focusing (IEF), and a partial characterization was undertaken. On DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange column chromatography, AS-PI activity was observed in both adsorbed and non-adsorbed fractions. The former represented the main AS-PI peak. By IEF, the respective pI values were 1.6 and 4.5. By gel filtration, the molecular weight of the main (adsorbed fraction) AS-PI was 78 000. This AS-PI strongly inhibited trypsin and to a lesser extent chymotrypsin, but exerted no inhibitory effect on plasmin. It slightly inhibited SH proteases such as papain and ficin. Immunologically, AS-PI was distinct from alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, antithrombin III, C1-inactivator, alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor. The main AS-PI reacted with and was neutralized by antiurinary trypsin inhibitor serum, and on immunoelectrophoresis, had a mobility slightly cathodal to serum albumin.

Acid stable protease inhibitor in ascites of ovarian carcinoma

In patients with ovarian tumors, a novel protease inhibitor which is very stable in acid (AS-PI, acid stable protease inhibitor) was identified in the ascites and tumor fluid as well as in the urine and plasma. The highest AS-PI activity was observed in the tumor fluid of ovarian carcinomas (10.7 +/- 2.3 U/ml), followed by the ascites of ovarian carcinomas (8.2 +/- 4.2 U/ml). There was a significant difference in activity of the tumor fluid and ascites between malignant and benign tumors (p less than 0.005, p less than 0.05, respectively). The same antigenicity of AS-PI fractionated from ascites of ovarian carcinomas to urinary trypsin inhibitor was identified by double immunodiffusion and neutralization techniques. It migrated in the serum albumin fraction on immunoelectrophoresis. By gel filtration, the AS-PI in the ascites of ovarian carcinomas showed a molecular weight of 70000-80000. Two active components with molecular weights of 61300 +/- 2100 and 73300 +/- 2500 were detected by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.