Alpha-1-antitrypsin in recurrent wheezy chest in children

ABSTRACT

The study included 80 children with wheezy chest aged 2 months - 6 years, subdivided into 10 cases with bronchiolitis, 15 cases with pneumonia, and 55 cases with bronchial asthma. Twenty healthy age- matchable children were used as control group. All cases and controls were subjected to thorough history, complete clinical examination, tuberculin skin testing, complete blood count, radiological examination of the chest, and determination of serum alpha-1- antitrypsin. The pneumonia cases had a significantly high serum alpha-1-antitrypsin than controls. Mean serum levels of alpha-1- antitrypsin in cases of bronchiolitis and in cases of bronchial asthma did not differ significantly from that of controls. Cases of wheezy chest associated with infection had significantly high serum alpha-1- antitrypsin level than those cases of wheezy chest without infection. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is an acute phase reactant that may have a role in the differential diagnosis of wheezy chest