COVID-19 Pathology Sheds Further Light on Balance between Neutrophil Proteases and Their Inhibitors.

ABSTRACT: Excessive neutrophil influx and activation in lungs during infections, such as manifest during the ongoing SARS CoV-2 pandemic, have brought neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and the concomitant release of granule contents that damage surrounding tissues into sharp focus. Neutrophil proteases, which are known to participate in NET release, also enable the binding of the viral spike protein to cellular receptors and assist in the spread of infection. Blood and tissue fluids normally also contain liver-derived protease inhibitors that balance the activity of proteases. Interestingly, neutrophils themselves also express the protease inhibitor alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), the product of the SERPINA-1 gene, and store it in neutrophil cytoplasmic granules. The absence of AAT or mutations in th

SUBMITTER: Silva V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9855895 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature