Thiopurine S-methyltransferase activity in a Chinese population.

Thiopurine S-methyltransferase is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the S-methylation of thiopurine drugs. Although a genetic polymorphism has been recognized for this enzyme in populations of Caucasian descent, there has been scanty information about this polymorphism among Asians. In this study, we measured the erythrocyte thiopurine methyltransferase activity in 119 healthy Chinese subjects by a radiochemical assay. Methyltransferase activity was lower than what might have been expected for a white population. A bimodal frequency distribution was obtained that allowed the identification of four individuals with relatively low methyltransferase activity who may be heterozygotes for thiopurine S-methyltransferase deficiency; if so, the frequency of the mutant allele would be lower in this Chinese population than that observed in a white population (chi 2, p < 0.02). No gender-based differences were observed.