Abstract
The concentrations and phenotypes of serum alpha-1-antitrypsin (αIAT) were determined in 650 newborn infants.
The distribution of these 650 subjects among the various Pi phenotypes confirms the higher frequency reported for the PiS allele in Latin populations.
Serum αIAT levels vary between one phenotype and the other. Besides, at birth, infants weighing more than 2,500 g have αIAT levels significantly higher (P<0.001) than infants weighing less than 2,500 g; this difference in serum αIAT concentrations is due to the low αIAT levels found in preterm infants. The significantly lower αIAT concentrations found in preterms is associated with a higher risk of develo** IRDS and with a mean birth weight under 2,000 g. Infants who develop IRDS frequently have lower αIAT levels than those who do not develop the syndrome, independently from body weight.
On the basis of serum αIAT quantitation, newborn infants may be separated into two groups, characterized respectively by concentrations above or below 150 mg%. From our data, it appears that if the group with an αIAT concentration lower than 150 mg% is phenotyped, it is possible to differentiate infants with a high risk of fatal IRDS from individuals with a “pathological” phenotype.
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Research supported in part by a grant from Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
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Piantelli, M., Pozzuoli, R., Auconi, P. et al. Alpha-1-antitrypsin in umbilical cord serum: Pi phenotypes and relationships with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome. Eur J Pediatr 127, 101–109 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00445765
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00445765