Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (α1A), Serum/Plasma

α1A is an acute phase glycoprotein that is mostly secreted by the hepatocytes and, to a lesser extent, by the lung, intestinal epithelial cells and phagocytes. α1A is an effective inhibitor of a variety of proteinases including trypsin, neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G and proteinase 3.

α1A deficiency is the most widely recognised abnormality of a proteinase inhibitor that causes lung disease. It is classically associated with the early onset of severe basal emphysema, but is also associated with the development of cirrhosis, primary carcinoma of the liver and the vasculitides. All these decrease life expectancy although the pulmonary condition dominates, as emphasised by the additive effect of cigarette smoking on mortality in patients with deficiency.

1 ml Serum 1 ml K2-EDTA or Li-Heparin Plasma Stability: 7 Days at 15-25 °C 3 Months at 2-8 °C 3 Months at (-15)-(-25) °C

90-200 mg/dL 16.6-36.8 µmol/L