Obstructive Lung Disease and Trypsin Inhibitors in α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency

The serum concentrations of α1-antitrypsin and α2-macroglobulin were determined immunochemicaHy in 50 cases with α1-antitrypsin deficiency. The mean α1-antitrypsin concentration was found to be 14.5 per cent and the mean α2-macroglobulin concentration 134 per cent of the normal concentration. No significant difference could be demonstrated between subjects with and without chronic lung disease. The trypsin inhibiting capacity of the inter-α trypsin inhibitor was estimated in two serum pools from subjects with and without pulmonary disease after separation of the serum inhibitors by gel filtration. It was found to be normal in both.