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Background: human chitotriosidase is a secreted enzyme by activated macrophages, detectable in plasma. Levels of chitotriosidase indicate severity of Gaucher disease and monitoring the efficiency of the enzyme replacement therapy. The most frequent polymorphism in chitotriosidase-1 gene (CHIT1) corresponds to a 24-bp duplication (24-bp Dup) that in homozygotes individuals gives place to the enzyme inactivation. The objective was to identify in a sample of Mexican health population the 24-bp Dup in CHIT1 gene and determinate the allelic and genotypic frequencies., Methods: 306 DNA samples of healthy individuals were analyzed in polyacrylamide gels and the allelic and genotypic frequencies was determined with SPSS v. 13.0., Results: distribution of the 24-bp Dup was in accordance to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p = 0.90), with an allelic frequency of 23.86 %. Genotypic frequencies for homozygous and hetero-zygotes were of 5.56 % and 36.60 % respectively., Conclusions: allelic and genotypic frequencies of the 24-bp Dup in CHIT1 gene in homozygotes and heterozygotes were in accordance to worldwide reports.

Gaucher's disease (GD) is an inherited metabolic disease due to lack of activity of the enzyme betaglucocerebrosidase. The diagnosis of GD is usually performed by fluorimetric analysis of the enzyme betaglucocerebrosidase. It can also be done by measuring the activity of tandem mass spectrometry. This enzyme can be analyzed in different samples such as leukocytes, fibroblasts, blood dried on paper and in case of prenatal diagnosis in chorionic villi or culture of amniocytes. Various biomarkers have been described for monitoring GD once diagnosed, to evaluate the response to potential treatments. Chitotriosidase activity is the most widely used biomarker for the assessment of GD, and for patients homozygous for the null CHIT1 gene variants, in general, is replaced by the analysis of the biomarker CCL18., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España S.L. All rights reserved.)