Alpha-1-antitrypsin phenotypes and serum concentrations in duodenal ulcer patients in The Netherlands

Hereditary alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) deficiency has been suggested to be associated with peptic ulcer disease. Since the serum concentration of the enzyme is the result of both hereditary and nonhereditary factors, we have studied not only the serum levels but also the alpha 1-AT electrophoretic variants in 177 Dutch patients with duodenal ulcer disease and compared with 357 healthy blood donors. No relation was found between any of the alpha 1-antitrypsin phenotypes and duodenal ulcer disease. Serum levels of alpha 1-AT were significantly higher than in the controls in the patients. This study does not support an association between hereditary alpha 1-AT deficiency and duodenal ulcer disease, and makes therefore a possible role of such a deficiency in the etiology of peptic ulcer disease highly unlikely.