RESUMO
Activities of elastase- and trypsin-like proteinases from granulocytes as well as content of their acid-stable inhibitors were studied in 80 samples of the bronchial secretory products obtained from 34 children from 4 to 15 years old suffering from various forms of bronchopulmonary pathology/primary chronic pneumonia, Cartagener's syndrom, mucoviscidosis, pulmonary malformations. Normal bronchial secretory products were characterized by high content of the acid-stable inhibitors as well as by absence of the granulocytic proteinases activity. Development of inflammatory impairments in bronchi was accompanied by 2-3-fold decrease in content of the inhibitors with simultaneous increase in the enzymatic activity. The data obtained suggest that the relationship between activity of granulocytic proteinases and content of acid-stable inhibitors in bronchial secretory products might be considered as an important index of inflammatory processes in bronchi. De novo synthesis of acid-stable inhibitors in lungs appears to be decreased in the course of development of inflammation.