alpha-1-Protease inhibitor phenotypes and serum concentrations in Thailand.

alpha-1-Protease inhibitor (A1PI) Pi phenotypes were determined in 429 individuals from Bangkok and 423 from the rural area of the northeast of Thailand by isoelectric focusing on thin-layer polyacrylamide gel. Variation was more marked in the Bangkok population. In the rural area, with an exclusively northeastern Thai population the Pi-alleles M, S and Z were detected. A1PI serum concentrations measured by electroimmunoassay were slightly higher in Thai than the values reported from European countries; children with PiM from rural areas had slightly higher A1PI serum concentrations than PiM children from Bangkok.