Highly selective synthetic inhibitors with regard to plasma-kallikrein activities

Cathepsin B and Plasma Kallikrein Are Reliable Biomarkers to Discriminate Clinically Significant Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis-C Infection

We aimed to determine the biomarker performance of the proteolytic enzymes cathepsin B (Cat B) and plasma kallikrein (PKa) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β to detect hepatic fibrosis (HF) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. We studied 53 CHC patients and 71 healthy controls (HCs). Hepatic-disease stage was determined by liver biopsies, aminotransferase:platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis (FIB)4. Hepatic inflammation and HF in CHC patients were stratified using the METAVIR scoring system. Cat-B and PKa activities were monitored fluorometrically. Serum levels of TGF-β (total and its active form) were determined using ELISA-like fluorometric methods. Increased serum levels of Cat B and PKa were found (p < 0.0001) in CHC patients with clinically significant HF and hepatic inflammation compared with HCs. Levels of total TGF-β (p < 0.0001) and active TGF-β (p < 0.001) were increased in CHC patients compared with HCs. Cat-B levels correlated strongly with PKa levels (r = 0.903, p < 0.0001) in CHC patients but did not correlate in HCs. Levels of Cat B, PKa and active TGF-β increased with the METAVIR stage of HF. Based on analyses of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Cat B and PKa showed high diagnostic accuracy (area under ROC = 0.99 ± 0.02 and 0.991 ± 0.007, respectively) for distinguishing HF in CHC patients from HCs. Taken together, Cat B and PKa could be used as circulating biomarkers to detect HF in HCV-infected patients.

Identifying Circulating Urotensin II and Urotensin II-Related Peptide-Generating Enzymes in the Human Plasma Fraction Cohn IV-4

Urotensin II (UII) and UII-related peptide (URP) are vasoactive peptide hormones causing strong vasoconstriction or vasodilation, depending on the type of blood vessel. In humans, the active forms are resulting from proteolytic cleavage of their inactive precursor protein. In blood plasma, a defined protease converting the inactive UII and URP precursors into their active forms has not been identified yet. Using mass spectrometry-based enzyme screening for detecting UII- and URP-converting enzymes, the human plasma fraction Cohn IV-4 was chromatographed, and the resulting fractions were screened for UII- or URP-generating activity. Plasma kallikrein (PK) as a UII- and URP-generating protease was identified. URP generation was also found for the serine protease factor XIa, plasmin, thrombin, and, to a smaller extent, factor XIIa. It was demonstrated that in the Cohn IV-4 fraction, PK accounts for a significant amount of UII- and URP-generating activity.

Effect of a highly selective plasma-kallikrein synthetic inhibitor on contact activation relating to kinin generation, coagulation and fibrinolysis

A highly selective inhibitor of plasma-kallikrein (PK), N-(trans-4-aminomethylcyclohexylcarbonyl)-L-phenylalanine 4-carboxymethyl-anilide hydrochloride, was designed and synthesized by the authors' group, called PKSI-527 in our laboratories. (I) PKSI-527 inhibited PK with a Ki value of 0.81 microM. By contrast, the Ki values for glandular kallikrein (GK), plasmin, thrombin, urokinase and factor Xa were greater than 500 microM, 390 microM, greater than 500 microM, 200 microM and greater than 500 microM, respectively. (II) Effects of PKSI-527 on bradykinin (BK) generation, coagulation and fibrinolysis by contact activation were examined using human plasma. (a) BK generation induced by kaolin appeared to be reduced by PKSI-527. Furthermore BK generation induced by lambda-carrageenan, a strong inflammatory agent, was also reduced by PKSI-527. (b) Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) was prolonged by PKSI-527, indicating the suppression of the intrinsic coagulation system. (c) Euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT) of plasma which was shortened by activation with kaolin, was prolonged by the addition of PKSI-527, confirming the participation of PK in contact-fibrinolysis. These results indicate that PKSI-527 shows great potential in elucidating the significance of PK, and as such deserves further investigation.