Comparison of a commercially available assay system with two reference methods for the determination of plasma cholinesterase variants.

For assaying plasma cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) activity and phenotyping by means of dibucaine inhibition, we have compared a commercially available kit, in which butyrylthiocholine is used as substrate, with two reference methods, one using benzoylcholine and the other propionylthiocholine. With 50 different samples of three of the most common genetic variants, we could clearly differentiate the variants with benzoylcholine and dibucaine, whereas there was some overlap of the E1uE1u and E1uE1a phenotypes with the other two substrates at 30 degrees C. The phenotypes were better differentiated at 25 degrees C, and in our hands the use of butyrylthiocholine was preferable to propionylthiocholine for phenotyping with dibucaine. The affinity of the usual and atypical homozygotes for fluoride with butyrylthiocholine gave an inverted response to the affinity of these variants for the anion with benzoylcholine. We suggest that this may be explained by the role of the chromogen or its products in the assay procedure with the thiocholine substrate.