Abstract
Objective
Among variants of the butyrylcholinesterase gene (BChE), the K-variant causing Ala539Thr substitution is the most common one associated with about one-third reduction in the enzyme activity. This study aimed to detect the frequency of the K-variant allele in a Turkish population sample and also to evaluate how the plasma BChE activity was influenced by this variant.
Methods
Patients administered for elective surgery (n=77) were examined for the presence of the K allele. The enzyme activity was determined in plasma.
Results
The K-variant of BChE is a common allele with a frequency of 0.266 (CI95% 0.196–0.336) in our sample from a Turkish population. Mean enzyme activity in subjects homozygous for the K-variant was about 40% lower than other subjects.
Conclusion
The frequency of the BChE K-variant was significantly higher in a Turkish population than those reported for other populations and it is associated with a diminished enzyme activity.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council TUBITAK (SBAG-COST B15–2356) and Turkish Academy of Sciences.The authors gratefully acknowledge Prof. Semsettin Ustacelebi for generously allocating laboratory facilities and thank Cetin Akin for his assistance in genotyping. All experiments were conducted in accordance with the current laws of Turkey.
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Babaoglu, M.O., Ocal, T., Bayar, B. et al. Frequency and enzyme activity of the butyrylcholinesterase K-variant in a Turkish population. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 59, 875–877 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-003-0716-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-003-0716-x