Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency history and symptoms


 * Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Overview
Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) may be slow to manifest in symptom onset in newborns. As a patient ages, liver dysfunction and deterioration will occur.

Symptoms
Symptoms of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency include:
 * Shortness of breath
 * Wheezing
 * Rhonchi rales may be present and appear to be recurring respiratory infections (but isn't)
 * Obstructive asthma that does not respond to treatment

Individuals with alpha-1 may develop emphysema during their thirties or forties, without a history of significant smoking (although smoking greatly increases the risk for emphysema). A1AD also causes impaired liver function in some patients and may lead to cirrhosis and liver failure (15%). It is the leading cause of liver transplantation in newborns.