Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and hepatocellular carcinoma

Forty-two cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were examined for the presence of the inclusions of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), which indicate a carrier state for the Pi Z gene. These were found in the non-neoplastic liver tissue of two cases of HCC and in one of the 98 control livers, a difference that is not statistically significant. Typical globules of AAT deficiency were not found in HCC cells. One-quarter of HCCs, however, contained cells which showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining for AAT, a pattern seen also in the non-neoplastic livers.