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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Quantifying the Modulation of Elastase Enzyme Activity Through Colorimetric Analysis
Published on: January 17, 2025
Trypsin, elastase, plasmin and MMP-9 activity in the serum during the human ageing process
Leszek Paczek1, Wanda Michalska, Irena Bartlomiejczyk
1Department of Immunology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-006 Warsaw, Nowogrodzka 59, Poland. leszekpaczek@onet.pl
Objective:
the aim of this work was to define the influence of the ageing process on the activity of proteolytic enzymes, such as trypsin, elastase, plasmin and active MMP-9 concentration, as well as the inhibitor alpha 1-antitrypsin. Moreover, we assessed associations between enzyme activity and selected clinical and biochemical parameters.
Methods:
healthy normotensive volunteers (n = 60, 30 women) aged 20-82 years were split into subgroups: young (aged 20-22), middle-aged (49-52) and elderly (77-82). Serum enzyme activity was assessed using fluorometric methods.
Results:
overall, active MMP-9 concentration and trypsin activity decreased with age, and alpha1-antitrypsin concentration and plasmin activity increased. Activity of elastase increased with age when compared to the young age group. An inverse correlation was identified between MMP-9 concentration and BMI and a direct correlation found between BMI and elastase, plasmin activity and alpha1-antitrypsin concentration. In the middle-aged group, glucose correlated directly with trypsin activity and inversely with MMP-9 concentration. Trypsin activity and MMP-9 concentration correlated inversely with cholesterol concentration and plasmin and elastase activity, and the alpha1-antitrypsin concentration correlated with cholesterol concentration in the overall group.
Conclusions:
the results confirm the influence of the ageing process on the activity of serum proteolytic enzymes. The activity of individual proteolytic enzymes in the serum changes with age.
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