Predominant genotypes and alleles of the Val-9Ala polymorphisms in the mitochondrial targeting sequence leading the manganese superoxide dismutase gene associated with their superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant status of healthy Thai subjec

Genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the Val-9Ala polymorphisms in the mitochondrial targeting sequence leading the manganese superoxide dismutase gene as well as associations with their superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant status of healthy Thai subjects were determined. The Val-9Ala polymorphisms in MTS-MnSOD gene of 221 healthy Thais including 135 females and 86 males were genotyped by a real-time PCR using protocol and all reagents of TaqMan Allelic Discrimination Demonstration Kit (PE Applied Biosystem, USA). The SOD activity of whole blood cells and plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) of each subject were assayed manually using protocol and all reagents of RANSOD and TAS kits (Randox Laboratories,UK) respectively.  The Val/Val, Val/Ala genotypes and the Val allele frequency were found to be predominant rather than the Ala/Ala genotype and the Ala allele frequency in healthy Thai subjects both females and males similar to those previous reports of healthy Chinese, Japanese and Korean subjects. The average values of SOD activity and TAS level in healthy Thais were 2,129.±778 U/g Hb and 1.27±0.26 mmol/L respectively. The association of each genotype with SOD activity as well as TAS levels of Thai females and males showed that  the average values of SOD activity and TAS in healthy Thais with the Val/Val and the Val/Ala genotypes were not statistically different (p>0.05) and not lower than those of the Ala/Ala genotypes.  In conclusion, the predominant genotypes were the Val/Val and the Val/Ala and they were not associated with low levels of SOD and TAS.