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Interethnic difference in thiopurine methyltransferase activity
Author(s) -
Klemetsdal Bjørg,
Tollefsen Eva,
Loennechen Thrina,
Johnsen Knut,
Utsi Egil,
Gisholt Kjell,
Wist Erik,
Aarbakke Jarle
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1038/clpt.1992.4
Subject(s) - thiopurine methyltransferase , pharmacogenetics , population , red blood cell , methyltransferase , biology , medicine , genetics , genotype , azathioprine , gene , disease , environmental health , methylation
A number of metabolic pathways are subject to both genetic polymorphism and interethnic differences. A catabolic pathway of 6‐mercaptopurine, red blood cell (RBC) thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) activity showed genetic polymorphism in Caucasians, but variation according to ethnicity has not been studied. We investigated if red blood cell thiopurine methyltransferase was subject to interethnic variation in a Saami (Lappish; n = 36) and a Caucasian population ( n = 50). The Saami population sample had 29% higher thiopurine methyltransferase activity, 17.0 ±3.3 U/ml red blood cell compared with the Caucasian population sample, 13.1 ± 2.9 U/ml red blood cell ( p < 0.001). Probit plots and frequency distribution histograms supported bimodality consistent with genetic polymorphism in both study populations. Differences in chronic diseases, drug consumption, age, or gender could not explain the interethnic difference in red blood cell thiopurine methyltransferase activity. The higher red blood cell thiopurine methyltransferase activity in the Saami population group indicates that these subjects may require higher dosages of thiopurine drugs than Caucasians. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1992) 51 , 24–31; doi: 10.1038/clpt.1992.4