[Behavior of serum alpha 1-antitrypsin in chronic hepatopathies and its diagnostic significance].

The behaviour of alpha 1 antitrypsin in 76 subjects with cirrhosis of the liver, 14 subjects with chronic persistent hepatitis, 14 subjects with chronic active hepatitis, 8 subjects with toxic hepatitis, 5 subjects with obstructive jaundice, 5 subjects with liver carcinoma. 4 of these groups (cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis, obstructive jaundice, hepatoma) showed alpha 1 antitrypsin blood levels significantly higher than the control group (82 healthy subjects). Very high alpha 1 antitrypsin blood levels, significantly greater than in cirrhosis, were found in the patients with hepatoma. All these subjects also showed blood levels of alpha fetoprotein higher than 100 ng/ml. The diagnostic meaning of these finding was considered.