The red cell 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase polymorphism in certain Southern African populations; with the first report of a new phenotype

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Studies have been carried out on the 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase polymorphism in over 3400 Southern Africans representing 34 distinct populations. The two commonest variant alleles, PGDCand PGDR, attain their highest known frequencies in the subcontinent. It has been shown that while the very high frequency of PGDCfound by previous workers in the Xhosa does not extend to the other South African Negro populations, the Dama of South West Africa have a frequency of PGDRhigh enough to be polymorphic. It is suggested that certain other populations possessing the PGDRallele may have obtained it from the Dama via the slave trade from Angola. A new electrophoretic variant of GPGD, has been found in a member of the Kuanyama division of the Ambo peoples of South West Africa and has been named 6PGD Oshakati and the allele determining its synthesis PGDS.