SUMMARY We performed a study to determine a reference range for serum α1-antitrypsin (α1at) in dogs by specific immunoassay; to evaluate whether serum α1at concentration varied with age, sex, or reproductive status in healthy dogs; and to investigate whether the serum α1at concentration in hospitalized dogs differed from that of healthy, nonhospitalized dogs. Serum α1at was quantitated by radial gel immunodiffusion for 60 healthy dogs and 311 hospitalized dogs. In healthy dogs, serum α1at concentration was 2.33 ± 0.41 mg/ml (mean ± sd), yielding a reference range (mean ± 2 sd) of 1.51 to 3.15 mg/ml. A correlation was not found between serum α1at concentration and age in healthy dogs. The serum α1at concentration (mean ± sem mg/ml) was significantly higher in healthy, sexually intact females (2.64 ± 0.1) than in healthy, spayed females (2.22 ± 0.12; P < 0.004); healthy, sexually intact males (2.14 ± 0.1; P < 0.0006); and healthy, castrated males (2.25 ± 0.14; P < 0.02). Hospitalized, sexually intact females had a lower serum α1at concentration (1.93 ± 0.07) than healthy, sexually intact females (2.64 ± 0.1; P < 0.0002). Likewise, the serum α1at concentration in hospitalized, sexually intact males (1.92 ± 0.04) was less than in healthy, sexually intact males (2.14 ± 0.1; P < 0.04). A difference in α1at concentration was not found between healthy and hospitalized, neutered dogs.
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Hughes et al. (1995) studied this question.