Rosanna Forteza, M.D.
Research Associate Professor of Medicine

Research Programs & Locations

Bronchial tissue kallikrein is a key enzyme in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma. It cleaves both high and low molecular weight kininogen in a highly selective fashion to yield lysyl-bradykinin (kallidin)- a potent vasoactive peptide. Kallidin causes vasodilation, increases vascular permeability and bronchoconstriction, all hallmarks of asthma pathobiology. Despite the fact that bronchial tissue kallikreini is the major kininogenase in the airways, little is known about its regulation.

The focus of my laboratory is to understand the sources and enzymatic regulation of bronchial tissue kallikrein. We have shown that tissue kallikrein is secreted by the serous cells of submucosal glands with hyaluronan (or hyaluronic acid) and that hyaluronan binds to and regulates tissue kallikrein's enzyme activity in the bronchial lumen.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• • Casalino-Matsuda SM, Monzon ME, Conner GE, Salathe M, Forteza RM. Role of hyaluronan and reactive oxygen species in tissue kallikrein-mediated EGF receptor activation in human airways. J Biol Chem. 2004 Feb 26 [Epub ahead of print]
    
  • O'Riordan TG, Weinstein MD, Abraham WM, Forteza R. Elevated tissue kallikrein activity in airway secretions from patients with tracheobronchitis associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation. Lung. 2003;181:237-44.
    
  • Lauredo IT, Forteza RM, Botvinnikova Y, Abraham WM. Leukocytic cell sources of airway tissue kallikrein. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2003; E pub
    
  • Wijkstrom-Frei C, El-Chemaly S, Ali-Rachedi R, Gerson C, Cobas MA, Forteza R, Salathe M, Conner GE. Lactoperoxidase and Human Airway Host Defense. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2003;29(2):206-12
    
  • Salathe M, Forteza R, Conner GE. Post-secretory fate of host defence components in mucus. Novartis Found Symp. 2002;248:20-6; discussion 27-37, 277-82.
    
  • Conner GE, Salathe M, Forteza R. Lactoperoxidase and hydrogen peroxide metabolism in the airway. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002;166:S57-61.
    
  • El-Chemaly S, Salathe M, Baier S, Conner GE, Forteza R. Hydrogen peroxide-scavenging properties of normal human airway secretions. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003;167:425-30. Epub 2002 Nov 15.
    
  • Scuri M, Abraham WM, Botvinnikova Y, Forteza R. Hyaluronic acid blocks porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced bronchoconstriction in sheep. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164:1855-9.
    
  • Forteza RM, Ahmed A, Lee T, Abraham WM. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, but not alpha-1 protease inhibitor, blocks tryptase-induced bronchoconstriction. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2001;14:107-10.
    
• Forteza R, Lieb T, Aoki T, Savani RC, Conner GE, Salathe M. Hyaluronan serves a novel role in airway mucosal host defense. FASEB J. 2001; 15: 2179-86.
  
• Forteza RM, Ahmed A, Lee T, Abraham WM. Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor, but not alpha-1 protease inhibitor, blocks tryptase-induced bronchoconstriction. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2001;14:107-10
  
• Lieb T, Forteza R, Salathe M. Hyaluronic acid in cultured ovine tracheal cells and its effect on ciliary beat frequency. J. Aerosol Med. 2000; 13: 231-237.
  
• Scuri M, Forteza R, Lauredo I, Sabater JR, Botvinnikova Y, Allegra L, Abraham WM. Inhaled porcine pancreatic elastase causes bronchoconstriction via a bradykinin-mediated mechanism. J Appl Physiol 2000;89:1397-402.