Description
Individuals expressing alpha-1-antitrypsin mutant Z protein accumulate misfolded, mutant protein in the liver and are at risk for liver diseases including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Transgenic PiZ mice, a model for this liver disease, display similar pathologies to humans, including inflammation, increases in proliferation, autophagy and apoptosis, accumulation of globules and develop fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma with age. Microarrays were used to compare the gene expressions of PiZ mice to wild-type mice in order to identify the pathways that are altered in this disorder.