Distribution of three red-cell enzyme polymorphisms (ACP, PGM1 and AK) in gypsies from Slovakia (Czechoslovakia)

Data are presented on the red cell acid phosphatase (ACP), phosphoglucomutase (PGM1), and adenylate kinase (AK) iso-enzyme distributions in a sample of gypsies (Roms) from Slovakia (Czechoslovakia). The findings of very low Pa (0.289) and PGM11 (0.656) gene frequencies as well as the complete absence of the Pc gene are in accordance with the generally accepted assumption of the Indian origin of European gypsies, and demonstrate that the rate of European admixture in Slovak gypsies is low. The finding of a very high AK1 gene frequency (0.984), on the other hand, contradicts this assumption, but with the limited available data on the iso-enzyme distribution in other gypsy and in Indian populations it cannot readily be explained.