The effect of human granulocyte proteinases on kininogens.

From the results obtained in preliminary in vitro experiments we may conclude that the unspecific breakdown of kininogens by neutral and acidic granulocytic proteinases may occur also in the organism during pathological conditions. Inhibitor application may serve as a valuable tool to prevent unspecific proteolytic degradation and thus elimination of kininogens and other clotting or complement factors from their biological function. Furthermore, specific cleavage products of the kininogens produced by granulocytic enzymes may be useful in the diagnosis of a beginning septicemia as well as in elucidation of the primary structure of the human kininogens.