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Frequency of erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency in Chinese infants
Author(s) -
Wu ZiLiang,
Yu WeiDong,
Chen ShunCun
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830200206
Subject(s) - pyruvate kinase , pyruvate kinase deficiency , cord blood , incidence (geometry) , enzyme , medicine , population , enzyme assay , chinese population , gene , biology , chemistry , endocrinology , biochemistry , glycolysis , environmental health , physics , optics , genotype
The incidence of deficiency of the enzyme pyruvate kinase (PK) in Chinese infants was determined. Both the standard assay of erythrocyte pyruvate kinase enzyme activity and a fluorescent screening test (standardized) were used. The results of these two tests were compared. Of 1,159 infant cord blood samples studied, 26 (or 2.2%) had abnormally low levels of PK activity using the screening test, as did 24 of the samples tested by the enzyme assay. The results indicate that the frequency of a defective PK gene in the population of Guangzhou is significantly lower (p < .05) than the previously reported defective gene frequency of 3.4% in Hong Kong. They also demonstrate the critical importance of standardization of the screening test, if most accurate estimates of gene frequency are to be derived by using this test.