Proteolytic enzyme activities in mononuclear cells and granulocytes of patients with various neurological disorders.

Our studies showed a significantly increased neutral protease activity in mononuclear cells in patients with MS in relapse, active neuro-Behçet's disease, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and polymyositis. Furthermore, in patients with ADEM there was a significant increase in the activities of neutral and acid proteases in granulocytes, while a significant decrease of acid protease activity was found in both mononuclear cells and granulocytes of cases of polymyositis. No change in lysosomal enzyme activities of any of the cell preparations was observed in MS in remission, inactive neuro-Behçet's disease, cerebrovascular diseases, polyneuropathy and non-inflammatory myopathy. A significant decrease of acid protease activity in mononuclear cells was found in myotonic dystrophy. A significant decrease in neutral and acid protease activities in granulocytes was found in Duchenne type muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis, while only the neutral protease activity in granulocytes was decreased in nonpurulent meningitis. These results suggest that abnormal protease activities in mononuclear cells may be related to the immune or chronic inflammatory processes and that abnormal protease activities in granulocytes may be related to more acute inflammatory processes.