ABSTRACT
The frequency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency amongst 598 male Saudi subjects originating from all parts of Saudi Arabia but confined in a military base population was found to be 9.3%. The activity of the deficient enzyme ranged from 5 to 22 mU/10 red blood cells [RBC], approximately 4-17% of normal. However, this appeared to be represented by two significantly distinct groups. One, the more common [75%], with a level between 5 and 14 mU/10 RBC [mean 9.6] and the other [25%] between 14 and 22 mU/10 RBC [mean 16.7]. These two levels of activities were distributed evenly throughout the population. Also they were found within different members of the same family. An examination of the clinical records of the 56 deficient subjects showed that only three had a documented history of an oxidative haemolytic syndrome. Two others had had mild neonatal jaundice. These findings are discussed in terms of the need for population screening programmes and clinical counselling
ABSTRACT
The frequency of sickle cell haemoglobin [HbS] alpha[1]-type thalassaemia and beta-thalassaemia were determined amongst 1000 Saudi subjects of a population in the Eastern Province which is representative of all parts of Saudi Arabia. Frequencies were: HbS, 0.068; alpha[1]-type thalassaemia, 0.065; beta-thalassaemia, 0.035. These values differ from those of other peninsular Arab states in that Saudi Arabia has the highest frequency of HbS and beta-thalassaemia but the lowest frequency of alpha[1]-type thalassaemia. The significance of these findings are discussed