ALPHA(1)-ANTITRYPSIN ALLELES AND PHENOTYPES IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Background: Several studies suggest an imbalance of protease activatio n and inhibition in inflammatory bowel disease. alpha(1)-Antitrypsin ( AAT), one protease inhibitor of paramount importance, exists in numero us subtypes, some of them representing deficient phenotypes. The prese nt study evaluated the prevalence of AAT-alleles and phenotypes in pat ients with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: The study population c omprised 74 patients with Crohn's disease and 61 patients with ulcerat ive colitis. Isoelectric focusing was used for AAT subtyping. The prev alence of AAT alleles and phenotypes was compared with the frequency i n 752 healthy unrelated controls. Results: The rare phenotype M2F was detected in one patient with ulcerative colitis. No further significan t differences in the distribution of AAT alleles or phenotypes between patients with inflammatory bowel disease and the healthy controls wer e observed. Conclusion: The low prevalence of deficient AAT subtypes d oes not point towards a contribution of AAT deficiency in the pathophy siology of IBD.