بررسي مقايسه اي ميزان آلفايك آنتي تريپسين مدفوع در كودكان به عنوان يك شاخص در تشخيص افتراقي اسهالهاي عفوني باكتريال و اسهالهاي غيرعفوني

Determination of fecal alpha 1-antitrypsin as marker for differentiation of microbial and non-microbial diarrhea

Alpha l-antitrypsin (AAT) is one of the acute phase human serum proteins. The concentration of this protein changes in some illnesses, such as hepatic, renal and lung diseases. Following intestinal disorders especially diarrhea AAT is defecated. Estimating fecal AAT is used as a tool for diagnosis of abnormal protein losses. Determination of fecal AAT as a marker for differential diagnosis of different gastrointestinal disorders has been investigated. Differential diagnosis of bacterial from non-bacterial diarrhea is routinly performed using culture techniques that are time consuming. Therefore in this study estimation of fecal AAT as a marker for differential diagnosis of various diarrhea has been investigated. In this case-control study, fecal AAT concentration was estimated in children hospitalized in pediatrician department of Hajar hospital, Shahrekord [ran. Case group I consisted of 30 children with microbial diarrhea. Case group 2 consisted of 30 children with non-microbial diarrhea and control group consisted of 30 children without diarrhea. Fecal samples of all children were cultured and examined. Fecal AAT was estimated using radial immunodiffusion technique. The average fecal AAT concentration was 50+46/2 mg/dl in case group 1, 25+34/77 mg/dl in case group 2 and 1108+3/35 mg/dl in control group. There was a significant difference in concentration of fecal AAT among the cases and the control group. Results of this study showed that the average concentration of fecal AAT in case group with bacterial diarrhea was higher than that of the other two groups. However, some individuals in this group had a low fecal AAT concentration. Therefore, it is suggested that in further investigations, both fecal and serum AAT concentration should be estimated simultaneously.