Prevalence of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (A1AT) Deficiency among Patients with COPD in Kerman, Iran

Background: One of the genetic risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is deficiency of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (A1AT). There is no exact statistics about the prevalence of this disease in different regions of Iran. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency in COPD patients in Kerman, Iran. Methods: In the present study, the serum level of AAT in 294 COPD patients visited in the pulmonary clinic center in Kerman, Iran was measured. The diagnosis of COPD was confirmed through history taking and Spirometry before and after using Bronchodilator. Data analysis was done by using t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Among294 studied patients, 223 individuals (75.9%) were male. None of the patients had absolute deficiency of A1AT, and only13 patients (4.4%) had a relative deficiency of A1AT. There was a statistically significant relationship between relative deficiency of A1AT and the severity of COPD in a way that in most of the cases, relative deficiency of this enzyme was associated with severe and very severe airway obstruction. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study and other similar studies in Iran, absolute and relative deficiency of A1AT in Iran has less frequency compared to other regions of the world and other factors such as cigarette smoking, opium addiction and consumption of fossil fuels have a more significant role in the prevalence of COPD in Iran.