[Concentration and activity of alpha-1-antitrypsin in neonatal hepatitis]

The concentration and activity of alpha 1-antitrypsin were studied in 20 children with the diagnosis of neonatal hepatitis. The concentration of alpha 1-AT was found normal or high in all of the patients (3.6 +/- 0.12 mg/ml). No case was found with PiZZ homozygote type alpha 1-AT deficiency. The activity of alpha l-AT was found decreased in 90% of the patients with neonatal hepatitis (control: 0.86 +/- 0.18 mg. trypsin inhibited by ml. of serum; neonatal hepatitis: 0.49 +/- 0.07 mg/ml.). The possibility that this may correspond to a disorder characteristic of neonatal hepatitis is mentioned.