Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Symptom Assessment of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis Using an Allergen Exposure Chamber
Published on: March 3, 2023
Alpha 1 antitrypsin distribution in an allergic asthmatic population sensitized to house dust mites
I Suárez-Lorenzo1, F Rodríguez de Castro2, D Cruz-Niesvaara3
11Postgraduate and Doctoral School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Camino Real de San Roque, 1, 35015 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas Spain.
Background And Objective:
Severe alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency has been clearly associated with pulmonary emphysema, but its relationship with bronchial asthma remains controversial. Some deficient alpha 1 antitrypsin (AAT) genotypes seem to be associated with asthma development. The objective of this study was to analyze the distribution of AAT genotypes in asthmatic patients allergic to house dust mites (HDM), and to asses a possible association between these genotypes and severe asthma.
Methods:
A cross-sectional cohort study of 648 patients with HDM allergic asthma was carried out. Demographic, clinical and analytical variables were collected. PI*S and PI*Z AAT deficient alleles of the SERPINA1 gene were assayed by real-time PCR.
Results:
Asthma was intermittent in 253 patients and persistent in 395 patients (246 mild, 101 moderate and 48 severe). One hundred and forty-five asthmatic patients (22.4%) with at least one mutated allele (S or Z) were identified. No association between the different genotypes and asthma severity was found. No significant differences in all clinical and functional tests, as well as nasal eosinophils, IgA and IgE serum levels were observed. Peripheral eosinophils were significantly lower in patients with the PI*MS genotype (p = 0.0228). Neither association between deficient AAT genotypes or serum ATT deficiency (AATD) and development of severe asthma, or correlation between ATT levels and FEV1 was observed.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the distribution of AAT genotypes in HDM allergic asthmatic patients did not differ from those found in Spanish population. Neither severe ATTD or deficient AAT genotypes appear to confer different clinical expression of asthma.
Related Concept Videos
Allergic Reactions
Distributions to Estimate Population Parameter
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
Allergic Drug Reactions
Conservation of Small Populations
What is Population Genetics?

