Red cell glutathione peroxidase in various Jewish ethnic groups in Israel

Red cell glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity has been measured in samples from seven Jewish population groups in Israel. No significant differences were found between the various communities. The mean GSH-Px activity was similar to that observed by Beutler and Matsumoto in Jewish samples from the USA and Israel. According to a genetic model proposed by the above investigators, the sample was subdivided into three phenotypes with low, intermediate and high activity, suggesting gene frequencies of 0.5072 and 0.4928 for the GSH-PxL and GSH-PxH alleles, respectively.