Background of the antigen
The serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) compose a superfamily of proteins with a diverse set of functions, including the control of blood coagulation, complement activation, programmed cell death and development. Serpins are secreted glycoproteins that contain a stretch of peptide that mimics a true substrate for a corresponding serine protease. SERPINB12 appears to be an inhibitor of trypsin-like serine proteinases, including mast cell tryptases.