Analysis of the serum paraoxonase/arylesterase polymorphism in some Sudanese families.

The combination of several qualitative tests of paraoxonase and arylesterase activity of human serum permits a clear, unequivical designation of phenotype for nearly every individual. The qualitative tests appear to be applicable for further studies of sample populations from Africa, the near East, and the Orient. These tests should facilitate the estimation of the respective gene frequencies in various ethnic groups. It is probable that the same two major alleles determining the isozymes of paraoxonase/arylesterase of human serum are present in the European, North American and African populations. However, there appears to be a higher frequency of B alleles among African and Oriental people. Further surveys should provide more details of the ethnic differences and the extent of variation in gene frequencies in selected populations for this interesting polymorphic protein.