Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency: biochemical and histochemical studies on hair roots for carrier detection.

Kinetic properties of human hair root glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were studied in order to optimize the assay of these enzymes in lysates from single hair roots. In contrast to previously reported methods, an excess of purified 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase was added to the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction mixtures, thus allowing a more exact quantification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. Although enzyme histochemical techniques suggest a similar distribution of hair root glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, enzyme assays on hair root segments after microdissection nevertheless indicate differences in the distribution of these enzymes. Upon storage a gradual drop in the activity of both hair root enzymes was found, but the rate of decrease in enzyme activity was about equal: the enzyme activity ratio was, therefore, not affected. This opens interesting possibilities for mailing hair roots for screening purposes without any special precautions.