Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in the middle and north of Iraq: a comparative study

ABSTRACT

This study determined the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PD] deficiency in Baghdad [central Iraq] and compared it with previous data from Mosul [northern Iraq]. We reviewed the records of 156 under-5-year-olds with G6PD deficiency admitted to 3 hospitals in Baghdad over a 6-year period. A preponderance of males was noted in both Baghdad and Mosul [1.61 and 3.41 respectively]. Family history of G6PD deficiency was positive in 19.2% of patients in Baghdad and 13.6% in Mosul. A majority of patients in Baghdad [69.2%] and Mosul [76.1%] showed haemolysis within 1-3 days of exposure to noxious agents. Similarities in the profiles from Baghdad and Mosul suggest that there are similar G6PD variants and similar exposure to precipitating agents