Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Providence Heart+Lung Institute, St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Cell Death Differ. 2010 Apr;17(4):596-606. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2010.5. Epub 2010 Feb 5.
Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of age-related cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Granzymes are a family of serine proteases that have been traditionally viewed as initiators of immune-mediated cell death. However, recent findings suggest that the pathophysiological role of granzymes is complex. Emerging functions for granzymes in extracellular matrix degradation, autoimmunity, and inflammation suggests a multifactorial mechanism by which these enzymes are capable of mediating tissue damage. Recent discoveries showing that granzymes can be produced and secreted by nonimmune cells during disease provide an additional layer of intricacy. This review examines the emerging biochemical and clinical evidence pertaining to intracellular and/or extracellular granzymes in the pathogenesis of aging and cardiopulmonary diseases.
慢性炎症是与年龄相关的心血管和肺部疾病的一个标志。颗粒酶是丝氨酸蛋白酶家族，传统上被认为是免疫介导的细胞死亡的启动子。然而，最近的研究结果表明，颗粒酶的病理生理作用是复杂的。颗粒酶在细胞外基质降解、自身免疫和炎症中的新兴功能表明，这些酶能够介导组织损伤的机制是多因素的。最近的发现表明，在疾病期间，非免疫细胞也可以产生和分泌颗粒酶，这为其提供了一个更加复杂的层面。本综述检查了与衰老和心肺疾病发病机制相关的细胞内和/或细胞外颗粒酶的新兴生化和临床证据。
