Neutrophil elastase
ELA2proteinNeutrophil elastase is released by activated neutrophils during NETosis and serves as a marker of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-driven immunothrombotic inflammation destabilizing the atherosclerotic plaque.
Pathway placement
Cascade stepPlaque inflammation
Confidencehigh
RationalePMN-released enzyme marking NET formation and immunothrombotic inflammation.
Also acts inPlatelet activation
Druggability
Not assessed (no mapped human gene target).
Type I vs Type II discrimination
ScoresLow-confidence (proxy)
R — rupture / Type-I74
C — confounder / Type-II86
A — assay feasibility68
E — evidence strength33
T1DI (composite)10
Specificity differential (R−C)-12.3
Confounder panel (Type-II drivers)
No confounder evidence retrieved.
Tier: light (literature co-occurrence proxy — lower confidence). See the discrimination table for all markers.
Assay & specimen
Class-level default (no specific cleared assay)— generic method inferred from analyte class; confirm against a specific product insert before use.
Specimen
Serum or plasma
Collection tube
Serum separator (gold/red-top, SST) · K2/K3-EDTA (lavender-top)
Method / principle
Sandwich immunoassay (ELISA) — research-grade unless a cleared assay exists
Reagent / substrate
Matched anti-target antibody pair (capture + labeled detection)
Platform
ELISA microplate or multiplex (Luminex/MSD)
Turnaround · availability
Send-out / research · Research-grade (no universal clinical assay)
Literature evidence(3)
- Biological basis and pathological relevance of microvascular thrombosis.Thrombosis research · 2014 · PMID 24759139 · doi
- Coronary neutrophil extracellular trap burden and deoxyribonuclease activity in ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome are predictors of ST-segment resolution and infarct size.Circulation research · 2014 · PMID 25547404 · doi
- Neutrophils, neutrophil extracellular traps and interleukin-17 associate with the organisation of thrombi in acute myocardial infarction.Thrombosis and haemostasis · 2012 · PMID 23238559 · doi