Idenification, Distribution, and Significance of a Collagenolytic Enzyme in Human Tissues.

Abstract

Collagenolytic activity in normal and pathological human tissue was demonstrated by culturing tissue specimens on reconstituted bovine collagen substrate. Collagenolysis appears to be associated primarily with epithelium and not with deep connective tissue elements. Alteration of a delicate balance between collagen synthesis and collagen breakdown in remodeling tissues was hypothesized as the mechanism by which some pathological conditions characterized by abnormal amounts of collagen may be produced.