“…Since AAT can inactivate a wide variety of proteolytic enzymes such as pancreatic and leukocyte elastase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, collagenase, plasmin and thrombin, it is considered to be important in regulating a variety of proteolytic and thromboplastic processes on both systemic and local levels (Rimon et al, 1966;Eisen et al, 1970;Koj et al, 1972;Beatty et al, 1980). AAT is expressed not only in normal livers but also in other normal tissues such as the lung, gall bladder, pancreas, and the gastrointestinal tract (Tuttle & Jones, 1975;Ray et al, 1978;Kittas et al, 1982a;Geboes et al, 1982;Tahara et al, 1984;Aroni et al, 1984). Moreover, AAT has also been demonstrated in several neoplasms including carcinomas, mesenchymal tumours, hemopoietic and brain tumours (Reintoft & Hargerstrand, 1979;Kittas et al, 1982b;Glasgow et al, 1982;Aroni et al, 1984;Tahara et al, 1984;Krugliak et al, 1986;Wittekind et al, 1986;Sawaya et al, 1987;Soini & Miettinen, 1989;Kataoka et al, 1989;Perlmutter et al, 1989;Karashima et al, 1990).…”