Is there a relationship between abdominal aortic aneurysms and alpha(1)-antitrypsin deficiency (PiZ)?

Objective: to determine if the frequency of alpha(1)AT deficiency (PiZ) is increased in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and, to investi gate whether aneurysmal stiffness and other clinical characteristics differ in AAA patients with and without alpha(1)AT deficiency. Methods: we identified alpha(1)AT-deficient individuals by a monoclonal-ant ibody ELISA technique, in 102 consecutive patients with AAA. Positive ELISA samples were further phenotyped by isoelectric focusing to differentiate b etween the heterozygosity (PiZ) and homozygosity (PiZZ) state. Aneurysmal d iameter and stiffness was measured using echotracking sonography and blood pressure measurements. Results: the frequency of heterozygous alpha(1)AT deficiency (PiZ) in patie nts with AAA tons similar to that in the general population (6.8% and 4.7%, respectively, p>0.3). The frequency of popliteal and femoral aneurysm was similar in male PiZ-carriers and non-carriers with AAA, as were age at diag nosis of AAA, aneurysmal diameter, aneurysmal stz;stiffness, and presence o f factors that may be associated with AAA (i.e. smoking, hypertension, diab etes mellitus, and family history of AAA). Occurrence of ischaemic heart di sease was more frequent in male non-PiZ-carriers than in male PiZ-carriers with AAA (p=0.03). Conclusions: the frequency of a,AT deficiency (PiZ) teas not increased in o ur series of patients with AAA and patients in whom the two disorders coexi sted did not appear to have different clinical characteristics except for t he lower occurrence of ischaemic heart disease among the PiZ-carriers.