Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Tehran, Zanjan and Sistan-Balouchestan provinces:prevalence and frequency of Mediterranean variant of G6PD

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Haematology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 4513956111, Zanjan, I.R. Iran.

2 Student Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 4513956111, Zanjan, I.R. Iran.

3 Department of Haematology,Yazd University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 734, Yazd, I.R. Iran.

4 Department of Genetics, Zahedan University of Medical School, P.O. Box 98135, Zahedan, I.R. Iran.

5 Department of Haematology, Division of Investigative Science, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK.

Abstract

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an enzymopathy affecting about 400 million
people worldwide. The distribution of G6PD deficiency and the molecular genetics of this enzyme vary widely
among different ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to find out the frequency of G6PD deficiency and
characterize the Mediterranean type mutation in deficient individuals in Turk, Balouch and Fars ethnic
groups in Zanjan, Iranshahr and Tehran provinces. 1500 unrelated male individuals from Zanjan and 305
unrelated male students from Iranshahr were screened for G6PD deficiency by fluorescent spot test.
Genomic DNA was extracted from deficient individuals and also from 64 G6PD deficient individuals from
Tehran city. PCR was used to amplify flanking regions of exons 6 and 7 of this gene. The PCR products were
digested by the MboII enzyme and electrophoresed on 3% agarose gel. Thirty-three (2.2%) individuals were
shown to be deficient for G6PD from Zanjan population. Twenty-four out of 33 (72.8%) of the deficient individuals showed a mutation at nt 563 which is characteristic of Mediterranean type of mutation. Nine individuals were negative for this mutation. Fifty nine (19.3%) individuals of Iranshahr were shown to be deficient for G6PD. At the molecular level, 50 (85%) of the individuals showed Mediterranean type of mutation and 15% were negative for this mutation. Our results from Tehran showed that 47/64 (73.4%) of deficient individuals had Mediterranean type mutation and 26.6% were negative for this mutation. Despite different frequencies exist for deficiency of G6PD in Turk, Balouch and Fars populations, the results of the present study and others have shown that the predominant mutation of G6PD in Iran is of Mediterranean type.

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