吸烟者有诱发肺气肿的危险性。多形核白细胞蛋白酶与下呼吸道中蛋白酶抑制剂之间失去平衡,可能是发生肺气肿的一种重要过程。这种平衡紊乱既可能是由于蛋白酶释放增加,也可能是由于功能性蛋白酶抑制剂的减少。这两种因素可能对吸烟者均起作用。最重要的多形核白细胞蛋白酶是弹性蛋白酶;是在多形核白细胞的嗜天青色颗粒中产生的。在吞噬作用过程中和细胞死亡时多形核白细胞向细胞周围释放弹性蛋白酶。吸烟的数量与外周血白细胞数量的增加之间有一定的关 Smokers have the risk of emphysema. The loss of balance between polymorphonuclear leukocyte proteases and protease inhibitors in the lower respiratory tract may be an important process for the development of emphysema. This imbalance may be due to either increased protease release or decreased functional protease inhibitors. Both of these factors may work for smokers. The most important polymorphonuclear leukocyte protease is elastase; it is produced in neutrophilic granulocytes of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes release elastase around cells during phagocytosis and cell death. There is a certain relationship between the amount of smoking and the increase in the number of peripheral white blood cells