Does the Z gene variant of alpha-1-antitrypsin predispose to hepatic carcinoma?

In 10 of 56 patients with primary liver carcinoma the nontumorous hepatocytes contained diastase resistant, periodic acid-Schiff positive and alpha-1-antitrypsin positive (immunoperoxidase technique) globules. This is a frequency of 18 per cent among patients with liver carcinoma against 6 per cent in an unselected autopsy series. The tumors were of the hepatocellular or mixed type in nine of the 10 patients, and the frequency among such patients was 23 per cent. We consider that these globules indicate a carrier of the protease inhibitor allele of the Z gene variant (single or double).