Protease inhibitor variants in healthy children and those with hepatitis

ABSTRACT

A study to assess the serum concentration and phenotypes of alpha-1 antitrypsin was conducted on 119 healthy school children and 28 children suffering from acute viral hepatitis. Serum alpha-1 antitrypsin was measured quantitatively by radial immunodiffusion where as phenotypes were determined by isoelectric focusing and further confirmation was done by immunofixation. Ten percent control and 15 percent of the children suffering from acute viral hepatitis had serum alpha-1 antitrypsin level below the normal range. MM was the most common in two groups. Deficiency variant MZ was found in two healthy controls while another variant FZ, associated with deficiency state in two patients with acute hepatitis. Genetic alpha-1 AT deficiency does exist in children but due to lack of facilities the deficiency in most of the cases remain undiagnosed