Table 1.
Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzyme activity in Gulf War veterans
| n | BChE mean (SD) activity * | |
|---|---|---|
| All veterans in study | 304 | 1.10 (0.26) |
| BChE genotype | ||
| U/U | 189 | 1.19 (0.24) |
| U/K | 87 | 1.01 (0.21) |
| K/K | 13 | 0.80 (0.15) |
| U/AK | 10 | 0.76 (0.18) |
| U/A | 3 | 1.03 (0.12) |
| A/F | 1 | 0.92 |
| AK/F | 1 | 0.69 |
| Common variants combined (U/U and U/K) | 276 | 1.13 (0.24) |
| Less common variants combined (K/K, U/AK, U/A, A/F, AK/F) | 28 | 0.81 (0.17)↑ |
| Race | ||
| White | 265 | 1.10 (0.26) |
| Black | 26 | 1.07 (0.24) |
| Other | 8 | 1.12 (0.23) |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 282 | 1.11 (0.25) |
| Female | 22 | 0.95 (0.26)↑↑ |
| Age at time of study | ||
| 29-39 | 189 | 1.10 (0.25) |
| 40-49 | 77 | 1.14 (0.27) |
| 50+ | 38 | 1.05 (0.23) |
| Gulf War illness case status | ||
| Gulf War illness cases | 144 | 1.10 (0.24) |
| Gulf War veteran controls | 160 | 1.10 (0.27) |
BChE = butyrylcholinesterase, SD = standard deviation.
*Mean enzyme activity expressed in μmoles benzoylcholine hydrolyzed per minute per mL of serum.
↑Mean enzyme activity differs significantly from U/U and U/K (p < 0.001).
↑↑Mean enzyme activity differs significantly from males (p = 0.003).