Investigations into the Biochemical Mechanisms of Pulmonary Emphysema: Effects of Cigarette Smoke on Enzymes and Anti-Enzymes in the Lung

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  • AJAaron Janoff
    Aaron Janoff
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Abstract
The mechanism(s) causing emphysema in the cigarette smoker are still poorly understood. However, circumstantial evidence is beginning to provide a tenuous link between smoking and the protease-antiprotease imbalance hypothesis. Independent effects on elastin synthesis may also be important. This triad of chemical and cellular events (leukocyte recruitment, inhibitor inactivation, depressed tissue repair) constitutes a reasonable first approximation from which to approach this complex question