Immundiagnostik IDK α1-Antitrypsin ELISA

α1-Antitrypsin is an α1 proteinase inhibitor that is expressed in the liver and the intestine. It acts as an acute phase protein by inhibiting serine proteases (eg, elastase, trypsin or chymotrypsin) and inflammatory processes by forming reversible complexes.

In faeces, α1 antitrypsin is found free or conjugated to either trypsin or elastase. The higher concentration of proteinases in the faeces is caused by an increased permeability of the intestinal epithelial layer, which in turn is set off by an abnormal array of the intestinal tight junctions that subsequently results in an enteral loss of plasma α1-antitrypsin.

Faecal loss of α1-antitrypsin has now become an accepted parameter for the evaluation of an enteral protein loss. This marker is suitable for indicating changes of intestinal permeability in cases other than colitis or Crohn’s disease. Immunological processes in the intestinal mucous layer, which may be caused by food intolerance, also result in an increase of faecal α1-antitrypsin concentrations.

Immundiagnostik’s IDK α1-Antitrypsin ELISA allows the measurement of α1-Antitrypsin in up to 15 mg of stool samples with a concentration range of 3.3–90 µg/L. It is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Sapphire Bioscience.