Alpha 1-Antitrypsin is a inhibitor of serine proteases. Its primary target is elastase, but it also has a moderate affinity for plasmin and thrombin. It Irreversibly inhibits trypsin, chymotrypsin and plasminogen activator. The aberrant form inhibits insulin-induced NO synthesis in platelets, decreases coagulation time and has proteolytic activity against insulin and plasmin. Defects in SERPINA1 are the cause of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD). A disorder whose most common manifestation is emphysema, which becomes evident by the third to fourth decade. A less common manifestation of the deficiency is liver disease, which occurs in children and adults, and may result in cirrhosis and liver failure.
