Antitrypsin and the liver.

Antitrypsin and the liver While genetic influences may be of considerable importance in determining susceptibility to liver disease only rarely is a simple direct genetic cause identifiable. At most only some 2-3 % of patients with cirrhosis can be shown to have single-gene disease such as Wilson's disease or haemochromatosis'. With rapidly progressive disease in infancy, however, the proportion is very much higher2. Recently an inherited trait-deficiency of alpha-l-antitrypsin (alAT)-has been shown to be an important cause of neonatal hepatitis and cirrhosis3'4'5 and also a cause of adult cirrhosis6. In addition, partial deficiency may increase susceptibility to cirrhosis associated with other causes6'7.