Identification of proteinases in rheumatoid synovium. Detection of leukocyte elastase cathepsin G and another serine proteinase.

Extracts of rheumatoid synovial tissue obtained at surgical synovectomy contained neutral proteinases as well as cathepsin D. The neutral proteinase activity was particle-bound but could be solubilized by 1 M MgCl2. About half of the solubilized activity adsorbed to aproptinin-Sepharose at pH 7.5 and was desorbed at pH 3.3. This activity was shown to be due to leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G by enzymological and immunological criteria. The neutral proteinase activity that did not adsorb to aprotinin-Sepharose was not due to elastase or cathepsin G. It was able to hydrolyse proteoglycan and was inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate, soybean and lima bean trypsin inhibitors. It was, therefore, a serine proteinase. Its inhibition characteristics were different from those of plasmin, kallikrein or thrombin. All of the neutral proteinase activity of synovial extracts was attributable to serine proteinases, no evidence of metallo-proteinases was found. The possible role of the neutral proteinases in the degradation of the matrix of cartilage is discussed. A simple procedure for purifying leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G is described as well as the raising of specific antisera to these enzymes.