BACKGROUND Previous estimates of the survival times of patients with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency have been based on selected patients. METHODS The survival times of 397 patients with severe alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency identified by pulmonary impairment (index cases) or through family studies (non-index cases) were compared. RESULTS The overall median survival time was 54.5 years with ...

The content of alpha-1-antitrypsin in the serum, alveolar lavage fluid, and alveolar macrophages of smokers and nonsmokers was studied. Bronchoalveolar lavage was used to obtain alveolar fluid and macrophages from normal volunteers, and alpha-1-antitrypsin and albumin were measured using the electroimmunodiffusion technique. The serum level of inhibitor was not different between the two groups,...

Alveolar macrophages lavaged from human lungs contain protease activity at an optimum pH of 3.0 and possibly a lesser peak of activity at pH 5.5. Protease activity measured at pH 4.1 is inhibited by purified alpha-1-antitrypsin. Fluorescent antibody studies of human alveolar macrophages showed that alpha-1-antitrypsin is present in normal alveolar macrophages. In addition, macrophages from a pa...

We have identified a vesicle fraction that contains alpha 1-antitrypsin and other human HepG2 hepatoma secretory proteins en route from the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) to the cis face of the Golgi complex. [35S]Methionine pulse-labeled cells were chased for various periods of time, and then a postnuclear supernatant fraction was resolved on a shallow sucrose-D2O gradient. This intermediat...

Introduction: α1-antitrypsin deficiency (α1-ATD) is one of the most common genetic disorders in white race, a usual cause of liver disease in children, and hepatopulmonary involvement in children and adult. The aim of this case description is presenting a child with early lung disease without liver parenchymal disorder. Case presentation: We describe a 13 year old boy because of exertional dysp...