RESUMO
The relation between alpha 1-antitrypsin and some pulmonary diseases was studied. We studied 66 patients suffering from 3 common chest disease: Bronchial asthma [25 patients], chronic bronchitis [16 patients], bronchiectasis [25 patients] and 15 as control. They all were subjected to chest X-ray, C.B.S, ESR, quantitative determination of serum alpha 1-antitrypsin by radial immunodiffusion method and alpha 1-antitrypsin phenotyping by immunofixation electrophoresis. A second serum alpha 1-antitrypsin after 3 weeks of treatment was carried out. Serum alpha 1-antitrypsin in all patients was significantly higher than normal at initial estimation. After treatment it dropped to normal level. Serum alpha 1-antitrypsin was signifIcantly decreased than normal in bronchial asthma patients. MM phenotype was the commonest, it was found in all control, in 85% of chronic bronchitis, 80% of bronchiectasis. In asthmatic other Pi variants [MS, MZ, SS] known to be alpha 1-antitrypsin deficient in most cases. Among 66 studied 24.6% had other phenotype variant than the PiM. These Pi variants were heterozygous defecient in alpha 1-antitrypsin, and presented as recurrent chest infection or bronchial asthma