INCREASED ELASTASE AND CATHEPSIN-G ACTIVITY IN ACTIVATED LYMPHOCYTES FROM AGED PATIENTS - ROLE OF DENUTRITION AND DEMENTIA

Elastase and cathepsin G activities in cell-lysates and in culture sup ernates of activated human lymphocytes (incubated for 96 h in the pres ence of 5 mu g/ml of phytohemagglutinin with/without 2 mu g/ml of elas tin peptides) of 25 old, hospitalized patients (average age: 88.48 +/- 6.81 years), suffering from vascular-type dementia or denutrition wer e examined, in comparison with samples of 11 young, healthy donors. El astase activity was found to be significantly elevated, the excreted f raction of elastase activity strongly decreased in lymphocytes of thes e patients as compared to young donors. The highest values of enzymati c activities in the culture supernates and also in the cell-lysates we re obtained for samples of undernourished patients. Lymphocytes from y oung, healthy donors showed a significant increase both of excreted an d intracellular elastase activity when cultured in presence of elastin peptides. The activation of elastolytic activity by elastin peptides decreased with the age of donors. The results for cathepsin G are esse ntially similar but the differences between age-categories are less pr onounced than for elastase activity. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.