INCIDENCE OF DOGS POSSESSING RED-BLOOD-CELLS WITH HIGH K IN JAPAN ANDEAST-ASIA

The phenotype of high K (HK) red blood cells, which is an autosomal re cessive, was found in dog groups from 10 of 13 breeds or populations i n Japan. The incidence of HK was 26 to 38% in the San'in-Shiba, Shinsh u-Shiba and Akita breeds, and the gene frequencies of HK ranged from 0 .513 to 0.612. The highest incidence (42%) was found in the Jindo bree d from Korea, and the gene frequency was 0.652. Two other groups from Korea also possessed this HK variation. However, although HK cells wer e not found in dogs from Taiwan, Indonesia, Mongolia and Sakhalin, Rus sia, the HK phenotype is clearly distributed now throughout Japan and Korea.