Neutrophils are the predominant immune cells in human blood possessing heterogeneity, plasticity and functional diversity. The activation and recruitment of neutrophils into inflamed tissue in response to stimuli are tightly regulated processes. Alpha1-Antitrypsin (AAT), an acute phase protein, is one of the potent regulators of neutrophil activation via both -protease inhibitory and non-inhibitory functions. This review summarizes our current understanding of the effects of AAT on neutrophils, illustrating the interplay between AAT and the key effector functions of neutrophils.

α1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) is an acute-phase reactant, but also a major protective factor against the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a complex disease with sustained chronic inflammation. The lung-protective effects of A1AT have been attributed to the inhibition of proteases involved in lung matrix fragmentation, macrophage activation, and endothelial-cell apoptosis. More recently, A1AT has been shown to directly interact with or modulate the actions of cytokines such as TNF-α or IL-1 in inflammatory cells, but its effect on the lung endothelium, an active participant in the amplification and resolution of inflammation, has received little attention. An important role of A1AT in modulating lung endothelial inflammatory responses is expected, given the high concentrations of circulating A1AT during inflammation and its active uptake by endothelial cells. We investigated the role of A1AT in primary lung microvascular endothelial cell activation by relevant cytokines such as TNF-α or IL-1β. Despite an initial marked augmentation of TNF-α self-induced transcription, A1AT inhibited TNF-α receptor 1 up-regulation and significantly reduced TNF-α secretion, effects that were associated with inhibition of TNF-α–converting enzyme activity. Furthermore, A1AT inhibited calpain activity, whose activation by TNF-α contributed to decreased intracellular A1AT concentrations. These data indicate that A1AT initially facilitates acute responses of the endothelium to TNF-α, followed by selective inhibition of TNF-α–induced-self amplification, which may assist the vasculature in the resolution of chronic inflammation.

Abstrac t : High expression of SERPINA1 gene encoding acute phase protein, alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT), is associated with various tumors. We sought to examine the significance of SERPINA1 and AAT protein in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and NSCLC cell lines. Tumor and adjacent non-tumor lung tissues and serum samples from 351 NSCLC patients were analyzed for SERPINA1 expression and AAT protein levels. We also studied the impact of SERPINA1 expression and AAT protein on H1975 and H661 cell behavior, in vitro. Lower SERPINA1 expression in tumor but higher in adjacent non-tumor lung tissues (n = 351, p = 0.016) as well as higher serum levels of AAT protein (n = 170, p = 0.033) were associated with worse survival rates. Specifically, in NSCLC stage III patients, higher blood AAT levels (>2.66 mg/mL) correlated with a poor survival (p = 0.002). Intriguingly, levels of serum AAT do not correlate with levels of C-reactive protein, neutrophils-to-leukocyte ratio, and do not correlate with SERPINA1 expression or AAT staining in the tumor tissue. Additional experiments in vitro revealed that external AAT and/or overexpressed SERPINA1 gene significantly improve cancer cell migration, colony formation and resistance to apoptosis. SERPINA1 gene and AAT protein play an active role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer and not just reflect inflammatory reaction related to cancer development.

The T cell marker CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase (DP) IV is associated with an effector phenotype and markedly elevated in the human CNS disorder multiple sclerosis. However, little is known about the in vivo role of CD26/DP IV in health and disease, and the underlying mechanism of its function in CNS inflammation. To directly address the role of CD26/DP IV in vivo, we examined Th1 immune responses and susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in CD26^−/− mice. We show that gene deletion of CD26 in mice leads to deregulation of Th1 immune responses. Although production of IFN-γ and TNF-α by pathogenic T cells in response to myelin Ag was enhanced in CD26^−/− mice, production of the immunosuppressive cytokine TGF-β1 was diminished in vivo and in vitro. In contrast to the reduction in TGF-β1 production, responsiveness to external TGF-β1 was normal in T cells from CD26^−/− mice, excluding alterations in TGF-β1 sensitivity as a mechanism causing the loss of immune regulation. Natural ligands of CD26/DP IV induced TGF-β1 production in T cells from wild-type mice. However, natural ligands of CD26/DP IV failed to elicit TGF-β1 production in T cells from CD26^−/− mice. The striking functional deregulation of Th1 immunity was also seen in vivo. Thus, clinical experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis scores were significantly increased in CD26^−/− mice immunized with peptide from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. These results identify CD26/DP IV as a nonredundant inhibitory receptor controlling T cell activation and Th1-mediated autoimmunity, and may have important therapeutic implications for the treatment of autoimmune CNS disease.

Acne is a chronic disease hallmarked by sebaceous hyperplasia, follicular hyperkeratosis, and inflammation. Parallel targeting of these factors is required to treat acne effectively. Inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV) and aminopeptidase N (APN) show strong anti-inflammatory effects on immune cells and therapeutic efficacy in autoimmune disorders. Our investigation focused on the expression and functional relevance of these ectopeptidases in three cell types which exhibit an altered phenotype in early acne lesions. We showed for the first time expression of DP IV and APN on human sebocytes. In the SZ95 sebocyte cell line, the DP IV inhibitors Lys[Z(NO₂)]-thiazolidide and Lys[Z(NO₂)]-pyrrolidide and the APN inhibitors actinonin and bestatin suppressed proliferation, enhanced terminal differentiation, and slightly decreased total neutral lipid production. The anti-inflammatory and differentiation-restoring cytokine IL-1 receptor antagonist was significantly upregulated in SZ95 sebocytes and the HaCaT keratinocyte cell line in the presence of inhibitors. Furthermore, the inhibitors suppressed proliferation and IL-2 production of Propionibacterium acnes-stimulated T cells ex vivo and enhanced the expression of the immunosuppressive cytokine transforming growth factor-β1. Our data provide first evidence for a functional role of DP IV and APN in the sebaceous gland apparatus and for their inhibitors, used alone or in combination, as completely new substances possibly affecting acne pathogenesis in a therapeutic manner.