Silver-stained phenotyping of alpha 1-antitrypsin in dried blood and serum specimens.

In this technique for determining the electrophoretic phenotype of alpha 1-antitrypsin in dried blood or serum specimens, the adsorbed material is eluted with a concentrated solution of dithiothreitol, focused on polyacrylamide thin-layer gel, and made visible with silver stain. With this staining technique all normal and pathological alpha 1-antitrypsin phenotypes can be detected. The procedure is relatively simple, inexpensive, and suitable for use in large-scale screening for alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency in selected populations.