Antigen DR3 and a,l-Antitrypsin Deficiency in Liver Transplant Recipients

The relationship between arantitrypsin deficiency (arATD) and the HLA antigen system was studied in 32 liver transplant recipients. Despite previous reports of an association of HLA antigen DRJ with homozygosity for arA T ZZ, no such association was seen in this population of arATD homozygous ZZpatients with advanced hepatic disease. Thus, the reported association of HLA class II antigens and homozygosity for the Z allele for arAT may be an artifact of either a small study population or geographic inbreeding and a coincidental association of certain HLA antigens with the presence of homozygosity for the Z allele of arAT.