Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) is the most abundant circulating inhibitor of proteolysis and is responsible for most of the inhibition of trypsin by blood plasma. The AAT has been considered in searching for a new biochemical tumor marker in the diagnosis ...
Alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) is the most abundant circulating inhibitor of proteolysis and is responsible for most of the inhibition of trypsin by blood plasma. The AAT has been considered in searching for a new biochemical tumor marker in the diagnosis of malignant diseases. We estimated the level of AAT in serum of control (18) and patients with hepatoma (22), other malignant diseases (22), chronic liver diseases (25), and acute infectious diseases (10) by radial immunodiffusion (RID) in order to study the clinical significance of AAT as a marker of malignancy, especially hepatoma. The results were as follows; 1) The levels of AAT in normal control serum were 191 +- 46 mg/dL 2) The levels of AAT in patients with hepatoma and other malignant diseases (stomach cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and malignant lymphoma) were 331 +- 110 mg/dL and 285 +-112 mg/dL, respectively. A significant correlation between each groups was not observed (p>0.05). And the serum AAT levels were significantly higher in patients with malignant diseases than in normal controls (p<0.05). 3) The levels of AAT in chronic liver diseases (chronic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis) were 229 +- 84 mg/dL and were not significntly higher than those of normal control (p>0.05).
4) The levels of AAT in acute infectious diseases (enteric fever, lung abscess, pneumonia and FUO) were 287 +- Slmg/dL.