Elastases form a subfamily of serine proteases that hydrolyze many proteins in addition to elastin. Humans have six elastase genes which encode the structurally similar proteins. The product of this gene hydrolyzes proteins within specialized neutrophil lysosomes, called azurophil granules, as well as proteins of the extracellular matrix following the protein's release from activated neutrophils. The enzyme may play a role in degenerative and inflammatory diseases by its proteolysis of collagen-IV and elastin of the extracellular matrix. This protein degrades the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of E. coli as well as the virulence factors of such bacteria as Shigella, Salmonella and Yersinia. Mutations in this gene are associated with cyclic neutropenia and severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). This gene is clustered with other serine protease gene family members, azurocidin 1 and proteinase 3 genes, at chromosome 19pter. All 3 genes are expressed coordinately and their protein products are packaged together into azurophil granules during neutrophil differentiation. [provided by RefSeq, May 2009].
Rivera-Franco, Leon-Rodriguez, Torres-Ruiz, Gómez-Martín, Angles-Cano, de la Luz Sevilla-González: "Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Associate with Clinical Stages in Breast Cancer." in: Pathology oncology research : POR, Vol. 26, Issue 3, pp. 1781-1785, (2020) (PubMed).
Li, Jia, Ji, Gong, Wang, Zhang, Wang, Zang: "The neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, attenuates sepsis-related kidney injury in rats." in: International journal of molecular medicine, Vol. 38, Issue 3, pp. 767-75, (2016) (PubMed).
Maekawa, Ishijima, Ida, Izumo, Ono, Shibata, Abe: "Prophylactic Effect of Lactobacillus pentosus strain S-PT84 on Candida Infection and Gastric Inflammation in a Murine Gastrointestinal Candidiasis Model [Errata]." in: Medical mycology journal, Vol. 57, Issue 4, pp. E81-E92, (2016) (PubMed).
Jeffery, Kimura, Gray, Lueth, Bellaire, LeVine: "Dogs cast NETs too: Canine neutrophil extracellular traps in health and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia." in: Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, Vol. 168, Issue 3-4, pp. 262-8, (2015) (PubMed).
Hiltermann, Lapperre, van Bree, Steerenberg, Brahim, Sont, Sterk, Hiemstra, Stolk: "Ozone-induced inflammation assessed in sputum and bronchial lavage fluid from asthmatics: a new noninvasive tool in epidemiologic studies on air pollution and asthma." in: Free radical biology & medicine, Vol. 27, Issue 11-12, pp. 1448-54, (2000) (PubMed).
Dentener, Francot, Hiemstra, Tool, Verhoeven, Vandenabeele, Buurman: "Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein release in whole blood ex vivo: strong induction by lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha." in: The Journal of infectious diseases, Vol. 175, Issue 1, pp. 108-17, (1997) (PubMed).