Levels of α 1 -Antitrypsin in Plasma and Risk of Spontaneous Cervical Artery Dissections

Abstract
Background and Purpose— Abnormalities of dermal connective tissue have been detected in patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissections (sCAD), suggesting an underlying structural defect of the arterial wall. α 1 -Antitrypsin (A1-AT) is a circulating serine proteinase inhibitor of proteolytic enzymes that helps to maintain the integrity of elastic and collagen fibers. Methods— To test the hypothesis that moderate deficiency of A1-AT may be a risk factor for sCAD, 22 cases with sCAD and 113 controls were included in the study. Results— Patients with sCAD had significantly mean lower levels of A1-AT compared with controls (116.0±24.9 versus 141.1±31.7 mg/dL; P P r =0.22; P Conclusions— Low plasma levels of A1-AT may be a risk factor for sCAD.