Although the wide majority of Alpha 1's are of Northern European
decent, most of us are not of one pure race. If he is an Alpha then
both of his parents would have to be carriers of the gene. A simple
blood test can determine if he was an Alpha and I don't know if
that was done. Alpha 1 deficiency can cause either chronic COPD or
liver disease.
No one knows if Michael Jackson had Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
Deficiency.
The only source for the claim is Ian Halperin, a writer who did
a biography of Jackson. Halperin provided no evidence whatever for
this claim, and Jackson's spokesman denied it as "a total
fabrication."
Alpha-1 is considered rare in African Americans. However, the
Alpha-1 Foundation recently awarded a grant to study the high rate
of lung disease in African Americans, and to test them for Alpha-1
Antitrypsin Deficiency.
