Autoimmune diseases that may be prevented, cured, or reduced in severity by administration or supplementation with AAT include:
In particular, Hokari et al indicated that dense neutrophil infiltration is one of the characteristic pathological findings in the inflamed mucosa of ulcerative colitis patients, and several proteinases derived from neutrophils have been reported to be involved in the pathology of inflammatory bowel disease.
Due to the link between autoimmune disease and AAT, in one embodiment, AAT may be used to treat, control, or prevent autoimmune disease in patients, either with or without known AATD. An autoimmune disease diagnosis may prompt a medical provider to test a patient for AATD. Alternatively, a patient diagnosed with autoimmune disease may seek genetic testing for AATD through an independent genetic testing company such as 23andMe or geneology.com, a pharmaceutical company supplied test kit or other private methods available.
A method for treating a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease with AAT begins with determining if the patient is AAT deficient or has lower AAT levels without being AATD. Determining if the patient is AAT deficient or has lower AAT levels without being AATD proceeds as previously described in this disclosure in the section entitled “Determining if a patient is AAT deficient or in the state of having low circulating AAT without being AAT deficient.” If the genotyping assay indicates that the patient has a Serpina1 AAT deficient genotype or if the patient's circulating AAT level is less than 100 mg/dL, then AAT is administered to the patient in an amount that results in a circulating AAT level in the range of 100-300 mg/dL.
Dosage is calculated such that the sum of the patient's current level of circulating AAT plus administered AAT is between the standard range of MM allele individuals. This range is typically between 100 mg/dL and 300 mg/dL. Previous AATD patients have only been brought up to the approximate lowest level on the average level found in patients having MM genotypes. Administration of AAT should be repeated every 5 to 8 days as the life of AAT is estimated at 4.5 days. One drug producer, Grifols, indicates that AAT has a half-life of 156 hours, which is approximately 6.5 days. Physicians may fluctuate on 5 to 8 days between treatments or every 6 to 7 days for typical treatments when dosages are recommended.