The values of alpha-1-antitrypsin in bronchial secretion in infants with spastic bronchitis and bronchopneumonia.

The alpha-1-antitrypsin values in bronchial secretion in fifty infants suffering from spastic bronchitis and/or bronchopneumonia were determined longitudinally. It was found that alpha-1-antitrypsin is regularly present in bronchial secretion. However, since alpha-1-antitrypsin was present only in the second sample of bronchial secretion in some investigated infants, it is necessary to determine it twice during the acute respiratory diseases at intervals of 3 days from appearance of the first clinical symptoms. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is present in bronchial secretion during the acute respiratory diseases in infants as long as physical finding exists on lungs. That points to the fact that this protein in bronchial secretion does not behave only as acute phase reactant but it represents a component of nonspezific defence mechanism of respiratory tract against infection. The alpha-1-antitrypsin determination in bronchial secretion in infants with acute respiratory diseases is of clinical importance since it can be used as the indicator for application of enzymatic secretolytics during these diseases.