title: Establishment of a normal reference range for alpha 1-antitrypsin in Saudis using rate nephelometry.
abstract: Alpha 1-antitrypsin level was estimated in 543 healthy males and 603 healthy females using rate nephelometry, in order to establish a "normal reference range" in Saudis. A significantly higher mean and range were encountered in the females than in the males, and a positive correlation was obtained between the alpha 1-antitrypsin level and age. Since alpha 1-antitrypsin showed a positively skewed distribution, the normal reference ranges were established using the 2.5th to 97.5th percentile values. This article presents the normal reference range for alpha 1-antitrypsin as 100 to 250 mg/dl in children under 10 years of age, 95 to 275 mg/dl in adult males and 100 to 350 mg/dl in adult females. The results are discussed in light of the significant differences encountered in comparison with the results reported elsewhere and by the manufacturers of the kits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sedrani
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: el-Hinnawi
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Warsy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012016:Reference Values; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012737:Sex Factors; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin