Experimental studies of the pathogenesis of infections owing to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: elastase, an IgG protease

Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase, but not alkaline protease, degraded pooled, normal, human IgG in vitro and this degraded IgG lost its protective effect when used to treat burned, P. aeruginosa infected mice. Plasma IgG levels in burned, uninfected mice declined immediately postburning, but remained relatively constant thereafter; the levels in burned, P. aeruginosa infected mice continued to decline until death ensued. Infection of burned mice with an elastase+ strain caused the IgG decline, while infection with an elastase- strain did not, suggesting that elastase production caused the in vivo decline in plasma IgG. Local treatment with the protease inhibitor alpha 2-macroglobulin, of burned mice infected with an elastase+ organism, reduced the IgG decline observed in control mice. These data support the hypothesis that P. aeruginosa elastase acts as an IgG protease both in vitro and in vivo and gives insight into how this enzyme may act as a virulence factor in P. aeruginosa.