Malaysians of Malay, Chinese, and Indian ancestries were electrophoretically phenotyped for Amy1 and saliva esterase region 1 (Set-1) from saliva, Amy2 from plasma, soluble and mitochondrial GOT and PGM3 from leukocyte and placenta. Kadazans and Bajaus, the indigenous people of Sabah, East Malaysia were surveyed for Amy2. Three types of variants were observed for Amy1, one type for Amy2. Only Indians were found to be polymorphic for Amy1. Two GOTs 2-1 and three GOTm 2-1 variants were found among 281 Chinese while three GOTm 2-1 variants were found among 311 Malays. Malaysian Malays, Chinese, and Indians were found to be polymorphic for Set-1 and PGM3. The gene frequencies in Malays are Set-1F=0.601 +/- 0.021, Set-1S = 0.399 +/- 0.021; PGM13 = 0.788 +/- 0.020, PGM23 = 0.212 +/- 0.020; in Chinese Set-1F = 0.497 +/- 0.028, Set-1S = 0.503 +/- 0.028; PGM13 = 0.745 +/- 0.24, PGM23 = 0.255 +/- 0.024; in Indians, Set-1F = 0.449 +/- 0.031, Set-1S = 0.551 +/- 0.031; PGM13 = 0.755 +/- 0.029, PGM23 = 0.245 +/- 0.029.
Kadazans, the largest indigenous group in Sabah, northern Borneo, were surveyed for glyoxalase I, phosphoglucomutase I, red cell acid phosphatase, esterase D, adenosine deaminase, soluble glutamate pyruvate transaminase, soluble glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, uridine monophosphate kinase, adenylate kinase, peptidase B and D, superoxide dismutase, C5, group specific component, haptoglobin and transferrin. Kadazans were found to be polymorphic for GLO I, PGM I, RCAP, esterase D, ADA, s-Gpt, 6PGD, UMPK, Gc, C5, haptoglobin and peptidase B. Rare variants were found for transferrin and peptidase D. No variant was found for s-Got, SOD and AK.
A total of 640 Malaysians, 355 of Malay, 155 of Chinese, and 130 of Indian ancestries have been examined for saliva acid phosphatases. The three ethnic groups were polymorphic for saliva acid phosphatase A (Sap-A) and saliva acid phosphatase (B (Sap-B). The gene frequencies were: Sap-A, Malays: A = 0.469, A' = 0.001, A degrees = 0.530; Chinese: A = 0.436, A' = 0.010, A degrees = 0.555; Indians: A = 0.533, A' = 0.012, A degrees = 0.456. For Sap-B, Malays: B = 0.925, B degrees = 0.075; Chinese: B = 0.797, B1 = 0.016, B degrees = 0.187; Indians: B 0.752, B degrees = 0.248. Phenotype ABB1 is described.
Acid alpha-glucosidase from the placenta was electrophoretically surveyed in a total of 633 Malaysians, 236 of Malay, 261 of Chinese and 136 of Indian ancestries. A new variant, alpha-glucosidase 3-1 was observed in 1 Malay and 3 Indians. A polymorphism for this enzyme was observed among Indians, but in Chinese and Malays variants are rare. Phenotype 2-1 was observed once in a Chinese and once in a Malay.
Three human saliva genetic markers, namely, salivary peroxidase (SAPX), Pm, and Ph proteins, were investigated in the three major ethnic groups of Malaysia: Malays, Chinese, and Indians. For Pm, the allelic frequencies of Pm+ for Malays, Chinese, and Indians are 0.385 +/- 0.030, 0.282 +/- 0.026, and 0.289 +/- 0.026 respectively. For Ph, the allelic frequencies of Ph+ are 0.082 +/- 0.016 for Malays, 0.109 +/- 0.017 for Chinese, and 0.062 +/- 0.013 for Indians. For SAPX, the allelic frequencies of SAPX1 in Malays, Chinese, and Indians are 0.762 +/- 0.027, 0.755 +/- 0.027, and 0.723 +/- 0.026 respectively.
Malays, Chinese and Indians from peninsular Malaysia; Ibans and Bidayuh from Sarawak state, Northern Borneo; and Bataks, Minangkabau and Javanese from North Sumatra, Indonesia, were subtyped for Gc (group-specific component) by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing. All eight populations investigated were found to be polymorphic for three common alleles, Gc1F, Gc1S and Gc2.
Malays, Chinese, and Indians from Peninsular Malaysia; Ibans and Bidayuh from Sarawak State; Kadazans from Sabah State, Northern Borneo; and Bataks, Minangkabau, and Javanese from North Sumatra, Indonesia, were subtyped for transferrin C by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing. All nine populations studied are polymorphic for two alleles, TfCl and TfC2, TfC3 was polymorphic in six populations and present as a rare variant in the other three. The frequency of TfC1 ranged from 0.855 in Bidayuh to 0.711 in Javanese, that of TfC2 from 0.231 in Indians to 0.113 in Bidayuh, and that of TfC3 from 0.030 in Javanese and Chinese to 0.008 in Bidayuh. TfDchi is polymorphic in all the populations that we studied except in Minangkabau, in whom it is present as a rare variant, and in Indians, in whom it is absent.
Three genetic markers, red-cell UMPK, PGP and serum AMY2 were investigated in Malaysians of Malay, Chinese and Indian ancestries using starch-gel and agarose-gel electrophoresis. UMPK was found to be polymorphic in all three races. Variants were observed for PGP in Malays; in Indians it is a polymorphic marker whereas it is monomorphic in Chinese. AMY2 was polymorphic only in Indians. The UMPK1 frequencies in Malays, Chinese and Indians, respectively, are 0.851, 0.880 and 0.942. The PGP1 frequencies are 0.991, 1.000, 0.962, and the AMY1(2) frequencies are 1.000, 1.000 and 0.983.
The hydrochloride, sulphate and ethylcarbonate salts of quinine were given in single oral doses (600 mg base equivalent) to nine healthy male subjects according to a cross-over design. No statistically significant differences were noted in the plasma drug concentration-time profiles although inter- and intra-subject variation in AUC, Cmax and tmax values was appreciable. The ethylcarbonate salt may be preferred for use in paediatric patients because of its neutral taste.
Tatumella ptyseos, the type species for the genus Tatumella, is a newly established member of the Family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a Gram-negative, oxidase negative, fermentative rod that grows on Mac Conkey agar. This first isolate was obtained from the blood culture of a neonate having neonatal jaundice with presumed sepsis. The organism was in vitro sensitive to Gentamicin, Chloramphenicol, Cotrimoxazole and Ampicillin. The patient was treated with Ampicillin and Gentamicin and recovered uneventfully.
The close epidemiological relationships between specific genital human papillomavirus (HPV) types and neoplasia of the cervix uteri have been extensively documented worldwide, including Singapore. Cervical cancer incidence rates in Singapore show variations between the major ethnic groups. To ascertain the corresponding HPV infection rates among the various races in Singapore, we analysed the cervical smears of 225 women by filter in situ DNA hybridization, and compared the data with a previous similar study. Fourteen (6.2%) individuals were HPV-positive, with HPV 16 and HPV 31 being the commonest types. No significant difference between HPV positivity rates in Chinese (5.0%) and in Malays (6.7%) was found, even though Chinese have a higher cervical cancer incidence than Malays. Furthermore, the cervical HPV carriage rate among women with normal cytology was 5.9%. In the light of reports of high genital HPV prevalence rates detected by DNA amplification, these data support the notion that HPV infection is commonly latent and requires the cooperation of other factors for cervical carcinogenesis.