Prevalence and molecular characterization of G6PD deficiency in two Plasmodium vivax endemic areas in Venezuela: predominance of the African A-202A/376G variant

Table 2 Prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Venezuelan individuals from Sifontes and Cajigal municipalities and G6PD gene alleles from subjects with biochemical deficiency

Geographical setting	Gender	TOTAL	G6PD determination results
			Biochemical test*		DNA analysis⁽**⁾
			Normal^(a)	G6PDd^{(#, b)}	Wild-type allele	202G → A allele	376A → G allele
Cajigal municipality (Sucre state) n = 332	F	163	156 (95.7)	7 (4.3)	3	4	4
Cajigal municipality (Sucre state) n = 332	M	169	156 (92.3)	13 (7.7)	1	11	12
Sifontes municipality (Bolívar state) n = 332	F	164	163 (99.4)	1 (0.6)	1	0	0
Sifontes municipality (Bolívar state) n = 332	M	168	165 (98.2)	3 (1.8)	0	2	3
		664	640 (96.4)	24 (3.6)	5 (20.8)	17 (70.8)	19 (79.2)

Data are in number (percentage) of cases for each condition
F females, M males, G6PDd G6PD-deficient subjects
^# p = 0.001 by Fisher’s exact test for the comparison of G6PD deficiency prevalence among subjects of Cajigal vs. Sifontes municipality
* The biochemical test used was a NeoLiSA G6PD assay (Interscientific^®, Hollywood, USA). p < 0.0001 by Student’s test for comparison of mean G6PD enzyme activity among normal and G6PDd subjects
** DNA analysis by PCR/RFLP and sequencing of the exons 4–8 of G6PD gene from subjects with biochemical deficiency. The other alleles, which were studied by sequencing (185C → A, 542A → T, 592C → T, 593G → C, 634A → G, 637G → T, 680G → A, 820G → A, 835A → T, 854G → A and 871G → A) resulted wild-type
^aMean G6PD enzyme activity of 12.9 ± 3.8 U/g Hb [defined as Class IV (in 84 %) and V (in 2 %) (data not shown)], according to WHO criteria (33, 34)
^bMean G6PD enzyme activity of 4.5 ± 1.2 U/g Hb (defined as moderately deficient enzyme, Class III, according to WHO criteria [33, 34]. p = 0.007 among G6PDd males and females compared by Student’s test

ISSN: 1475-2875