Abstract

Materials and methods: One hundred patients with respiratory disease following exposure to sulfur mustard were divided into two groups of 50 based on their respiratory symptoms and compared with a healthy control group. AAT phenotypes were determined in the plasma of all patient and control subjects by isoelectric focusing (IEF). Results: Mean AAT activities in patient and control groups were 3.4 +/- 0.3 and 4.2 +/- 0.1 mu mol min<SU-1</SU ml<SU-1</SU, respectively (p < 0.001). No phenotypic alterations were detected. Conclusions: The difference in the clinical pulmonary symptoms of the two groups was attributed to reduced AAT activity, but this was not manifested as phenotypic changes identifiable by IEF.