No association of red cell adenylate kinase phenotypes with affective disorders

Summary Red cell adenylate kinase (AK) phenotypes were studied in 195 patients with affective disorders (41 with the bipolar and 81 with the unipolar form of the disease) and 418 controls. No significant differences were found between patients and controls and between patients with different types of affective disorders. Thus the previous observation by Rundle et al. (1977) showing an increased frequency of the AK² allele in the unipolar group was not confirmed.