Bronchial inflammation - Its relationship to colonizing microbial load andalpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency

Neutrophil elastase is capable of generating many of the features of chroni c bronchial disease. In patients with COPD, airways inflammation with neutr ophil recruitment and elastase release is positively correlated with coloni zing bacterial load in the stable clinical state (p < 0.0005). In addition, alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency is associated with a greater neutrophil lo ad, higher elastase activity, leukotriene-B-4 concentration, and serum prot ein leak than matched patients without deficiency (p < 0.005). These data c onfirm an effect of bronchial colonization on airways inflammation in COPD and indicate the role of alpha(1)-antitrypsin in its modulation.