How to diagnose Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency ?
How is alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency diagnosed? Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) may first be suspected in people with evidence of liver disease at any age, or lung disease (such as emphysema), especially when there is no obvious cause or it is diagnosed at a younger age. Confirming the diagnosis involves a blood test showing a low serum concentration of the alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein, and either: detecting a functionally deficient AAT protein variant by isoelectric focusing (a method for detecting mutations); or detecting SERPINA1 gene mutations on both copies of the gene with molecular genetic testing. (This confirms the diagnosis when the above-mentioned tests are not performed or their results are not in agreement.) Specialists involved in the diagnosis may include primary care doctors, pulmonologists (lung specialists), and/or hepatologists (liver specialists).