α1-antitrypsin deficiency in fraternal twins born with familial spontaneous pneumothorax.

Greene, Dina N; Procter, Melinda; Krautscheid, Patti; Mao, Rong; Lyon, Elaine; Grenache, David G · Chest · 2012

case_report · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

We report a case of spontaneous familial pneumothorax in fraternal twin boys. The twins' family history is remarkable for reactive airway disease and a female sibling also born with spontaneous pneumothorax. The family had no history of connective tissue disorders, renal cancer, or dermatologic diseases. Analysis of the twins' α(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) genotype, phenotype, and serum concentration revealed that both were compound heterozygous for rare SERPINA1 alleles. These findings suggest a role for AAT deficiency in spontaneous pneumothorax of the newborn. To our knowledge, these are the first genetic data to support etiology of neonatal spontaneous familial pneumothorax.

Medical subject headings