Inhibition of HIV-1 gp160-dependent membrane fusion by a furin-directed alpha 1-antitrypsin variant.

HIV-1 Membrane Fusion

The AIDS pandemic is spreading unchecked in many parts of the world. Currently available anti-viral regimens are plagued by their high cost, by serious side effects in a significant minority of recipients, and by the increasing problems of drug-resistant HIV variants. Fortunately, rapid advances in understanding how HIV-1 enters cells have lead to the identification of promising new drug target...

Clinical manifestations of the Mmalton alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency variant.

Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder that may cause severe lung and liver disease.

An alpha-1 antitrypsin genetic variant from India.

The highly polymorphic human alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) gene codes for the most abundant circulating plasma serine protease inhibitor. Previously, genetic variants of the AAT gene were reported from different regions of the world. In the present study, the AAT gene was characterized in an Indian sample. The AAT gene was isolated and cloned from a liver biopsy sample through RT-PCR and the full-l...

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency associated with the Mattawa variant.

The most common deficiency alleles for alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) are Pi*S and Pi*S, but there are also other deficiency variants. This case report describes the first two cases of AATD detected in Spain resulting from the combination of a null Mattawa allele with a normal PI*M, and a rare Mmalton. Both cases were initially diagnosed as Pi*MM by isoelectric focusing (IEF), but the lo...