Distribution of thiopurine methyltransferase activity in Chinese healthy Han and Yao population

Objective To investigate thiopurine methyltransferase(TPMT) activity distribution in Chinese Han and Yao population. Methods TPMT activity of erythrocyte (RBC) in healthy subjects was measured by RP-HPLC method. Results The mean values of TPMT activity were (11.96±3.27)nmol·h~ -1·mL~ -1 packed RBC in 273 healthy Chinese Han adults, (13.02±2.78)nmol·h~ -1·mL~ -1 packed RBC in 88 healthy Chinese Han children, and(13.27±3.92)nmol·h~ -1·mL~ -1 packed RBC in 148 healthy Chinese Yao children, respectively. No subject had hardly detectable erythrocye TPMT activity. The frequency distribution histogram in Chinese Han and Chinese Yao children appeared to be normal. There was no statistically significant in TPMT acitvity between Chinese Yao children and Han children, and there was no gender differences in TPMT activity. There was no significant age-related differences in TPMT activity in the Chinese Han adults and Chinese Han children. However, TPMT activity correlated positively with age in Chinese Yao children with a small value of γ (γ= 0.2596). Conclusion The frequency distribtion of TPMT activity was unimodal in Chinese Han and Yao population.