Collagenase expression by normal human eosinophils.

Collagenolytic activity was detected in extracts from human blood eosinophilic granulocytes. To characterize this collagenase, we compared extracts from isolated populations of eosinophils and neutrophils. Significant collagenase activity against type I and II collagens was present in extracts from both cell populations. Although collagenase activity was present in eosinophils, the cells did not stain with antibodies specific for fibroblast, neutrophil collagenase, or collagenase-3. In contrast, neutrophils immunostained positively with antibody to neutrophil collagenase. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of immunoreactive protein in neutrophil extracts but not in the eosinophil extracts. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for all three known collagenases of an eosinophil cell suspension from peripheral blood that had 3% contamination with immature neutrophils showed a polymerase chain reaction product only with neutrophil collagenase oligonucleotide primers, but not with fibroblast collagenase or collagenase-3 primers. Eosinophil collagenase would appear to have a unique antigenic structure and may represent a new enzyme.