Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences (Mar 2010)
Hemolysis Induced by Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency and Its Association with Sex in Children
Abstract
Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)deficiency is the most common enzyme disorder in human.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence ofG6PD deficiency among children and evaluate its associationwith ABO/Rh blood groups.Method: Blood samples of 3401 asymptomatic children wereanalyzed and compared with 317 children who were admitted tohospital because of hemolysis resulted fromG6PD deficiency.Results: Among asymptomatic children 375 (11%) were G6PDdeficient. Male to female ratio for this group was 4.2:1 and forthe hemolytic group was 2.5:1 (P=0.004). Two hundred andsixty-seven (84.2%) of the patients with hemolysis wereyounger than 2 years, with the peak age of hemolysis between 2and 3 years (27.7%). The overall rate of hemolysis caused byG6PD deficiency was 12.3% during the 3 consecutive monthsof fresh Fava bean consumption. Blood groups O+, A+, and B+together constituted 87.1%, 87.7%, and 84% of the bloodgroups among normal children, asymptomatic G6PD deficientsubjects, and those with G6PD deficiency related hemolysisrespectively (P=0.367). Seven percent of the normal childrenand asymptomatic G6PD deficient subjects were Rh- vs 9.7 %of G6PD deficient children with hemolysis (P=0.16).Conclusion: The prevalence of G6PD deficiency among thechildren was 11%. Male to female ratio was greater in nonhemolyticvs hemolytic group so that the female share was higherin hemolytic group than in the other two groups (P=0.004).The distribution of ABO blood groups was similar amongasymptomatic non-G6PD deficient, asymptomatic G6PDdeficient,and G6PD-deficient children with hemolysis. Thedistribution of Rh- types among the G6PD-deficient childrenwith hemolysis and the other two groups was similar (9.7% vs7%, P=0.16).
