What are the tests for Alpha-1?
There are three types of simple laboratory tests for Alpha-1. First, you can test for the amount of AAT protein in the blood. This is often called a blood level of AAT. Second, you can evaluate the AAT protein in the blood for its chemical characteristics since deficient AAT protein is different than normal. This is called Pi-typing or phenotyping. Finally, you can look at the AAT genes and test them for common abnormalities. This is called genotyping. It is often helpful to do two or even all of these tests in order to be sure of an Alpha-1 diagnosis.
