[Increased serum alpha 1-antitrypsin does not produce a rise in fecal alpha 1-antitrypsin in patients with healthy intestines]. / Erhöhtes Serum-alpha-1-Antitrypsin verursacht bei darmgesunden Patienten keinen Anstieg des fäkalen alpha-1-Antitrypsin.

Fecal alpha-1-Antitrypsin (alpha-1-AT) was related to serum alpha-1-AT concentration in 50 healthy controls, 51 patients with extraintestinal inflammatory disease as well as in 23 patients with ulcerative colitis with mild or severe disease activity. alpha-1-AT concentrations were measured by radial immunodiffusion. Even though serum alpha-1-AT concentration was elevated above normal limits in all patients, a concomitant increase of fecal alpha-1-AT was found only in patients with ulcerative colitis. In these patients a positive correlation between fecal alpha-1-AT-clearance and -concentration and severity and extension of inflammation could be demonstrated. It is concluded that elevated blood levels of alpha-1-AT do not cause increases in fecal alpha-1-AT loss and that fecal alpha-1-AT excretion is increased specifically in patients with intestinal inflammation.