Recent trends of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency among saudi population in Riyadh city

Abstract

G6PD deficiency is associated with erythrocyte deficiency in the X-chromosome enzyme. It causes a hematologic syndrome called hemolytic anemia that connects G6PD deficiency with X-linked condition. In the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, G6PD deficiency is the most dominant genetic blood disorders. It results in higher rates of mortality and morbidity due to its incurable long-lasting nature and prevalence of physical and psychological incapacities. In this study, an attempt was made to evaluate the prevalence of G6PD deficiency among the Saudi population in Riyadh city. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted at King Saud University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The population of the study comprised randomly chosen males and females who visited the hospital from January 2017 to January 2018. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, and descriptive analysis was used to find the frequency of G6PD-deficient patients. Out of the 209 patients, 62.2% were males (n=130) and 37.8% were females (n=79). Twenty males and 6 females were found to have G6PD deficiency, with the male to female ratio being 1:3. Out of the total 130 male participants, 20 patients were found to be enzyme deficient and 6 patients of 79 female patients were found to be G6PD deficient. There were 38.4% (n=10) patients with G6PD level <4 units/gram hemoglobin, 26.9% (n=7) patients had G6PD levels of 4.1–7.0 units/gram hemoglobin, and 34.6% (n=9) patients had >7 units/gram hemoglobin. Among the G6PD patients, 23.07% patients were severely anemic, and 5 (19.2%) patients were reported to have high bilirubin. The present study revealed the G6PD prevalence to be 12.4% among the Saudi population; this value is significantly higher than that found in France, Spain, India, and Singapore. In the Saudi population, males are more vulnerable to G6PD-deficient than females. Hence, attention should be paid to G6PD-deficient patients while prescribing antimalarial medication. Such patients may be advised to avoid certain foods to minimize the risk of having hemolytic episodes.