Typing of genetic variants of al-antitrypsin from dried blood

Abstract

The α₁-antitrypsin phenotype was determined from both plasma and dried blood in 35 children and adolescents who had or were suspected to have α₁-antitrypsin deficiency. A disc of paper with dried blood was eluted and analysed by flat bed electrofocusing on polyacrylamide gel. The gel was stained according to a silver-staining technique until the microheterogeneous bands appeared with adequate intensity. The al-antitrypsin patterns of plasma and dried blood were identical. The stability of the dried blood samples was 3 days at room temperature, up to 1 week at +4°C, and up to 1 month at -20°C. The al-antitrypsin screening method and the Pi-typing procedure described in this study may be combined in future screening studies using dried blood specimens obtained for the Guthrie test.

Key Words:

• α₁-antitrypsin
• electrofocusing
• screening
• silverstaining
• protease-inhibitor