α1-Antitrypsin deficiency in twins and parents-of-twins |
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| Authors: | Jack Lieberman Nemat O. Borhani Manning Feinleib |
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| Affiliation: | Respiratory Disease Section, U.C.L.A. San Fernando Valley Medical Program, Veterans Administration Hospital, Sepulveda;Department of Community Health, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California;and Epidemiology Branch, Division of Heart and Vascular Disease, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, U. S. A. |
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| Abstract: | Serum-trypsin-inhibitory-capacity (STIC) and alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) genotypes were evaluated in 83 twins and 112 paired parents-of-twins. An increased prevalence (17.0--21.9%) of intermediate AAT deficiency (STIC less than 0.95 units/ml) was detected in both of these groups as compared to a prevalence of 4.1% in 1,841 healthy controls. PiS and PiZ molecular variants of AAT were also found more frequently in the twin and parent groups, but this was not statistically significant. Low levels of protease inhibition may enhance fertility and a tendency towards twinning, since proteolytic enzymes are involved in fertilization of ova by sperm and in gametogenesis. Increased fertility and twinning may be heterozygous advantages for AAT deficiency. |
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| Keywords: | Alphaj-antitrypsin fertility fertilization gametogenesis genotype heterozygotes twinning. |
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