Should Serum Protein Electrophoresis Be a Surrogate for Liver Biopsy in Some Cases of Alpha1 Antitrypsin Deficiency?

Most patients with alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency do not receive this diagnosis until developing severe complications, in particular when respiratory symptoms are absent. This is a reason for making alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency a possible diagnosis among patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis or other conditions of liver disease without a clear etiology. In this report, a case of cryptogenic cirrhosis is presented, showing the role of serum protein electrophoresis in the diagnosis, which was made before liver biopsy. Therefore, the possibility of using a typical pattern of serum protein electrophoresis as a surrogate for liver biopsy in alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency is discussed.