This meta-analysis supports the conclusion that augmentation can slow lung function decline in patients with AAT deficiency Patients with moderate obstruction are most likely to benefit.

The aim of the present study was to identify a 1 -antitrypsin (a 1 -AT)-deficient patients who had rapidly progressive disease.PiZ patients (n5101) underwent annual lung function measurements over a 3-yr period, and the results were related to factors that may influence decline.The mean annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was 49.9 mL. The greatest FEV1 decline occurred in the moderate severity group (FEV1 50-80% of the predicted value), with a mean annual decline of 90.1 mL, compared with 8