The Rate of Plasmodium vivax Infectivity within Gloucose-6-Phos¬phate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficient Individuals in Hor-mozgan Province, Iran

One of the most important enzymatic disorders that interact with malaria is deficiency of G6PD (Gloucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). This enzyme protects red blood cells from hydrogen peroxide and other oxida­tive damages. Distribution of this enzyme deficiency usually accompa­nies with low level distribution of malaria disease in most malarious areas. So this hypothesis may be considered that the G6PD deficiency could be protec­tive against malaria. Totally 160 samples were taken from vivax malaria infected and non-infected individuals. Preparing blood smears and quantitative test for G6PD deficiency were employed for all of the samples. To ensure accuracy of the malaria in negative samples besides using microscopical examination, semi-nested multiplex PCR was also performed for the two groups. In microscopical examination 36 and 124 samples were vivax ma­laria positive and negative respectively. Out of 36 P.vivax positive cases 3 (8.3%) cases were detected to be G6PD deficient versus 30 (24.2%) cases out of 124 P. vivax negative cases. The results showed a significant differentiation between P. vivax positive and P. vivax negative cases in the rate of G6PD defi­ciency (3/36 in positive cases versus 30/124 in negative cases) (P<0.05). vivax malaria positive individuals with G6PD deficiency showed too mild symptoms of Malaria or even asymptomatic.