The extracellular release of granulocyte collagenase and elastase during phagocytosis and inflammatory processes.

Human granulocytes release 25-30% of the granular neutral proteases, collagenase and elastase, to the exterior of the cell during phagocytosis of yeast cells or immune complexes. Similar amounts of myeloperoxidase and lactoferrin are released. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated that collagenase and elastase released extracellularly formed complexes with serum alpha1-antitrypsin. The presence of alpha1-antitrypsin complexes with granulocyte collagenase and elastase were also demonstrated in inflammatory processes, e.g. in the peritoneal exudate of acute peritonitis. The reactivity of neutrophil proteases with natural plasma protease inhibitors must be considered in assessing the role of these proteases as the etiologic agent of tissue damage and degradation during the inflammatory process.