New kit for Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency from Sebia

Sebia has introduced a new CE marked kit for Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (A1AT) phenotype testing. A1AT deficiency is a hereditary disease affecting the liver and lungs.

The test kits are supplied complete with everything required to run on any HYDRASYS agarose gel electrophoresis system configured to IEF capability. Kits and instruments are available from Sebia UK.

The new test is an isoelectrofocusing procedure followed by immunofixation with an anti-A1AT antibody. This peroxidase labelled antibody is more specific than general protein staining and produces clearly defined bands for easy result interpretation. High quality results are obtained in less than two hours.

Individuals with variants of the normal MM phenotype produce low amounts of A1AT and may develop hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. Some variants involve lung function and carriers may suffer from emphysema. A1AT deficiency is the most common cause of liver disease in children.

A1AT phenotype testing is carried out when a patient has a decreased level of A1AT. The test detects A1AT variants, which can lead to the identification of the deficient alleles that are responsible for the reduced A1AT production.