Macrophages at an inflammatory site release massive amounts of proteolytic enzymes, including lysosomal cys-teine proteases, which colocalizewith their circulating, tight-binding inhibitors (cystatins, kininogens), so modifying the protease/antiprotease equilibrium in favor of enhanced proteolysis. We have explored the ability of human cath-epsins B, KandL to participate in the production of kinins, using kininogens and synthetic peptides that mimic the insertion sites of bradykinin on human kininogens
