Incidence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in malaria-prone regions of Fars province

The deficiency of enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is among the most common genetic diseases in human. The deficiency of G6PD enzyme is one of the most common encountered enzymes, affecting about 400 million people and causing a wide range of undesirable clinical complications worldwide. The performed studies have reported a variety of statements about the relationship between malaria and survival of people with defect, but these kinds of studies are limited in Iran. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of G6PD deficiency among newborns in malarious areas of Fars province.
The present study was conducted ecologically and descriptively-analytically on 59745 neonates with G6PD deficiency in Fars province, Iran from April 2011 to March 2015. To determine the defect, a point fluorescence test and Kimia commercial kit (KimiaPajoohan Co., Tehran, Iran) were used. To determine the areas with malaria, factors associated with malaria-causing cells in Fars province, including the presence of carriers, the presence of malaria, the incidence of new malaria and the presence of malaria activated sites were studied. The incidence of defect was calculated using the statistical method of estimating the annual incidence rate. ArcGIS software, version 10.3 (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA) was used to provide geographic mappings and distribution patterns in malarious areas.
The total incidence of G6PD deficiency in newborns was estimated as 15.58 per 100 live births, including 16.25 for boys and 14.85 for girls. The incidence of this defect in malaria-prone areas was higher than other areas. As a region was more malaria-prone, the incidence of G6PD deficiency increased too, which was statistically significant (P= 0.039).
Based on the findings of this study, Fars province is among areas with high incidence of G6PD deficiency. The incidence of G6PD deficiency in malaria-prone areas of Fars province, Iran, is higher than other regions, which indicates better survival of patients against malaria in the past.