title: Polymorphism of the serum alpha-amylase in the population of the South Central and South Eastern regions of Bulgaria and its relationship with the erythrocyte blood group systems ABO and MNSs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of the study was to investigate the relationship between the polymorphism of alpha-amylase and the erythrocyte systems--ABO, MNSs, and determine their population distribution and individual phenotype and gene incidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parallel examinations of identical blood samples were carried out to determine the phenotypes of alpha-amylase and ABO and MNSs blood group systems. Blood was obtained by venipuncture in the Serological Laboratory of the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Plovdiv. Amylase phenotypes were determined by the authors' own modification of Kompf's method using continuous horizontal electrophoresis of blood serum on agarose gel. Only the classical phenotypes of the examined blood group systems--alpha-amylase, ABO and MNSs were determined in the study. RESULTS. The analysis of the data by chi-square analysis using Pearson criterion found no relationship between the polymorphism of the serum alpha-amylase and ABO and MNSs erythrocyte systems. The allele frequencies determined were 1(a) = 0.9595, 1(b) = 0.0388, 1(o) = 0.0017 for Amyl and 2(a) = 0.9579 and 2(b) = 0.0421 for Amy2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The difference between the observed and expected phenotypes of the examined blood group systems alpha-amylase, ABO, MNSs is short of statistical significance. This indicates genetic stability of the examined blood group systems in the studied population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Biological Faculty, Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski", Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Sofia D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Baltova
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002031:Bulgaria; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System; D000516:alpha-Amylases