Eden E, Holbrook J T, Brantly M L, Turino G M, Wise R A
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospitals, Columbia University, New York, New York 10025, USA.
J Asthma. 2007 Oct;44(8):605-8. doi: 10.1080/02770900701540028.
In a study comparing low-dose theophylline to montelukast in poorly controlled asthmatics, 285 subjects consented to be screened for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Of the 284 for which complete data was available, 10.5% carried a deficiency gene and 2.4% were mildly deficient with an alpha-1 antitrypsin serum level of less than 20 mu M. In the non-African-American cohort, an abnormal phenotype occurred in 12% and 2.9% were mildly deficient. Baseline pulmonary function and asthma scores were not significantly different between those with normal and abnormal AAT phenotype. However those with the deficiency tended to show a greater bronchodilator response.
