Additionally, you can use ClinicalTrials.gov to search for clinical studies by disease, terms, or location. Through clinical studies, researchers may ultimately uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose, and understand human diseases. They build public awareness of the disease and are a driving force behind research to improve patients' lives. A rare disease expert is a medical provider that has knowledge or training on specific rare disease(s), but there may only be a few experts in your state, region, or country. Patients who are receiving optimized COPD treatment should also undergo AAT replacement therapy, which should be personalized.11 It is recognized that there are patients with severe mutations in whom lung function and clinical status remain stable. Underdiagnosis of AATD has been widely reported in the literature.1 It is a relatively rare genetic disorder that is inherited in an autosomal codominant manner and results in reduced serum AAT concentrations, consequently reducing antielastase activity in the lungs, as well as increasing the risk of diseases such as pulmonary emphysema, liver cirrhosis, and necrotizing panniculitis.2,3 Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a relatively rare genetic disorder, inherited in an autosomal codominant manner, that results in reduced serum AAT concentrations, with a consequent reduction in antielastase activity in the lungs, as well as an increased risk of diseases such as pulmonary emphysema, liver cirrhosis, and necrotizing panniculitis. The "Intravenous augmentation treatment and lung density in severe a1 antitrypsin deficiency" study and its open-label extension, designated the RAPID and RAPID-OLE studies, respectively,105,106 were the largest clinical trials of intravenous AAT replacement therapy ever conducted. The progression of emphysema is related to the age at which smoking began, as well as to the lifetime smoking history.9,34,35 In a recent study, the frequency of variant alleles was described in 30,827 individuals who might have some deficiency were evaluated-by buccal swab or by dried blood spot (DBS) sampling (collection of a blood drop on filter paper)-between 2018 and 2022 in six countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, and Turkey). Mutations in the SERPINA1 gene lead to different changes in the AAT glycoprotein, which can alter its concentration, conformation, and function.5,13 More than 200 variants of the SERPINA1 gene have been described.14 The AAT variants initially found were classified with letters from A to Z, depending on the speed of migration of the molecule in a pH gradient after isoelectric focusing. If you have low levels of AAT but normal liver and lung function tests, you may not need treatment; however, you will be monitored with repeat testing over time. All patients with genetic variants that can cause severe liver disease should also receive specialized hepatology care. The data supporting the clinical efficacy of intravenous AAT replacement are robust and include randomized trials that evaluated outcomes such as serum AAT concentrations, lung function, and lung density on chest CT.3,9,105,106, In Europe and the United States, various studies have emphasized the need for careful diagnosis and access to intravenous AAT replacement therapy in patients with severe AATD. It is essential to monitor patients with AATD for the appearance of pulmonary emphysema and liver disease. BEAM-302 is a lipid nanoparticle-delivered base editing therapy designed to correct the PiZ mutation in the SERPINA1 gene, enabling production of normal AAT in liver cells. Clinical outcomes such as lung function or liver histology have not yet been reported. Your tax-deductible donation funds lung disease and lung cancer research, new treatments, lung health education, and more. If your healthcare provider suspects AAT deficiency is affecting the liver, the provider may order blood testing of liver function and in some cases an ultrasound of the liver. Lung and liver transplantation are reserved for severe and terminal cases of AATD.96 After liver transplantation, AATD is corrected because the phenotype-normal donor liver produces and secretes AAT. When AAT replacement is indicated, it should follow the criteria described in this document.1,9,108,114 Experience with lung volume reduction surgery in patients with AATD is limited. It is interesting to use questionnaires to assess quality of life, assess COPD, and monitor exacerbations.9,105 Despite the cost, AAT replacement is a specific treatment that will slow the destruction of the lung parenchyma, consequently increasing survival,108 and should therefore be offered to all those who need it. Multidisciplinary care centers may offer more coordinated care and be involved in clinical research, which may help reduce the time to diagnosis and provide access to emerging diagnostic tools. It can also connect patients with the latest research or treatment options. Seeing multiple specialists is important for people with rare diseases because these conditions often affect many parts of the body and require care from doctors with different expertise. These centers bring together teams of specialists who can work together to evaluate symptoms and coordinate a diagnosis. AAT-AT confers decreased emphysema progression and may need to be stopped prior to transplantation if disease progresses to this point. When comparing survival rates after lung transplantation, between AATD recipients and usual COPD, no difference in long-term survival was observed in the majority of the studies, albeit AATD patients are usually younger and have fewer comorbilities56. Conversely, AATD patients who did not receive AT had better lung outcomes and greater survival rate. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the relative risk conferred by genotypes causing milder deficiency, such as the S allele. The alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein is encoded by the SERPINA1 gene on chromosome 14, and its main function is to inactivate neutrophil elastase (NE) upon insult to the lungs, such as smoking. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is an autosomal co-dominant disease, usually underdiagnosed owing to its variable penetrance and clinical heterogeneity. The best way to take care of yourself with an Alpha-1 diagnosis is to avoid things that can damage your lungs or liver.