Genetic polymorphism of C7 in a Japanese population has been described, using polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing electrophoresis followed by an electrophoretic blotting technique. Phenotypes of C7 were classified into six common patterns, and observed phenotypes were produced by autosomal codominant at a single locus with three alleles. Three common alleles, designated C7*B, C7*M and C7*A, were found, and gene frequencies calculated from 494 individuals showed C7*B = 0.858, C7*M = 0.096 and C7*A = 0.046, respectively. It is noteworthy that both C7*M and C7*A have polymorphic frequencies in the Japanese population. The distribution of phenotypes fitted the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Results indicate that the electrophoretic blotting technique, which has high specificity and sensitivity, is applicable in the study of heterogeneity of protein antigens.

Genetic polymorphism of human plasminogen in the Japanese population has been described using polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing electrophoresis followed by immuno-fixation techniques. New variants PLG1'-1', PLG2'-1, and rare 1 were detected. Fibrinolytic activity per milligram plasminogen of each phenotype, except for PLG1'-1' and PLG1-1' was within the normal range. The PLG1' component was associated with no or less plasminogen activity, but possessed plasminogen antigen. Gene frequencies calculated from 750 individuals were PLG1;09560, PLG2; 0.0113, PLG1'; 0.0233, and PLG2',0.0094; respectively. The distribution of phenotypes fitted the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In order to detect the plasminogen phenotypes the immunofixation technique was more suitable than the zymogram technique.

Genetic polymorphism of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) was investigated in a total of 214 red blood cell samples from unrelated Japanese using the starch gel electrophoresis and the enzyme-specific staining procedures. Three common phenotypes were observed which corresponded to SAHH 1, SAHH 2-1, and SAHH 2, controlled by two alleles, SAHH*1 and SAHH*2. The estimated gene frequencies of SAHH*1 and SAHH*2 in Japanese were 0.953 and 0.047, respectively. This result was not different from European samples reported by Bissbort et al. (1983).

Polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing (PAGIEF) of neuraminidase-treated EDTA plasma samples followed by electroblotting with enzyme immunoassay was performed to further investigate coagulation factor XIII B subunit (FXIII B) polymorphism. In 435 Japanese subjects PAGIEF patterns of FXIII B were classified into five common and three rare allotypes. This suggested that the FXIII B*2 allele existed in the Japanese population in the same manner as in Caucasians. Three new rare allotypes were considered to be controlled by three rare alleles which were designated FXIII B*13, FXIII B*14, and FXIII B*15, respectively. The gene frequencies calculated from 435 Japanese subjects were FXIII B*1 = 0.2977, FXIII B*2 = 0.0184, FXIII B*3 = 0.6805, FXIII B*13 = 0.0011, FXIII B*14 = 0.0011, and FXIII B*15 = 0.0011, respectively.

Polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing followed by electroblotting with enzyme immunoassay was done for the investigation of allotypes of properdin factor B (BF) in serum from 326 Japanese subjects. A new BF F variant tentatively designated BF*Fb1 (b = basic) was detected, the isoelectric point of each band of homozygous BF Fb1 being higher than of BF FF. Family data were in accordance with transmission by mendelian inheritance. The allele frequencies calculated from 326 Japanese subjects were 0.7945, 0.1825, 0.0215, and 0.0015 for BF*S, BF*F, BF*Fb1, and BF*F075, respectively, with that of variant BF*Fb1 being a polymorphic frequency. The distribution of phenotypes fitted the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.