The bactericidal activity of neutrophils depends primarily on free oxygen radicals released by the activation of NADPH oxidase when neutrophils are stimulated by microorganisms. Severe glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is associated with decreased NADPH production. Increased susceptibility to recurrent bacterial infections in children with severe neutrophil G6PD deficiency as a consequence of decreased NADPH production has been reported earlier. In this study, the in vitro activity of neutrophils from normal and G6PD-deficient individuals was assessed by measuring the [14C]CO2 released via the hexose monophosphate shunt from radiolabeled [1-14C]-glucose and the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction test. Our results show that the G6PD activity of neutrophils from 48 individuals, identified as severely erythrocyte (RBC) G6PD deficient ( < 2 U/1012 RBC) was 23% of the enzyme activity of neutrophils from 53 individuals with normal RBC G6PD levels (98.8 U/1012 RBC). However, the results of functional assays of neutrophils as measured by hexose monophosphate shunt and the NBT test were comparable in G6PD-deficient and normal individuals, suggesting that a reduced activity of G6PD to as low as 23% of normal does not affect neutrophil function.
The object was to determine the frequency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in Bahraini individuals with HbS as compared to those without HbS. Haemolysates of erythrocytes from 310 Bahraini individuals attending Health Centres were obtained, electrophoresed on cellulose acetate at PH 8.2-8.6, and stained for G6PD. HbS was present in 125 individuals (study group) and in 185 only HbA was present (control group). G6PD deficiency (very low to undetectable) was identified in 59 samples (47 per cent) of the study group and 35 (19 per cent) of the control group. A positive correlation between G6PD deficiency and HbS is present in Bahraini individuals tested. This is similar to the situation in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. We speculate that the observation could be explained on the basis of historic endemicity of Falciparum malaria in both regions on the East coast of the Saudi Peninsula.
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