Is Heterozygosity for the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Risk Allele Pi ∗MZ a Disease Modifier or Genetic Risk Factor?

Investigating patients with chronic liver disease includes the search for an underlying etiology and disease staging to deduce a prognosis and provide therapeutic recommendations. The testing strategy will be determined by presentation and the specific clinical setting. Key questions in this context are to what extent and in what hierarchical order tests should be performed. Both are also determined by the epidemiology of a condition and by treatment options. How therapeutic progress affects testing is illustrated by the recent recommendation that all individuals aged 18 –79 should be tested for hepatitis C virus infection.
Source: Gastroenterology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research