Isozymes and gene expression in different kinds of human blood cells

Four kinds of purified human blood cells (erythrocytes, lymphocytes granulocytes and thrombocytes) from 30 different individuals were studied with respect to 8 different enzyme systems representing 18 different isozyme markers. Consistent variations between cell types were found in 6 out of 8 enzyme systems and in about one third of the isozyme markers. Some of these variations reflect probable differences in gene activity. Thus the difference in gene expression between lymphocytes and granulocytes is considerable and concerns about one third of the gene loci studied.