High prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Vataliya Prajapati community in western India.

OBJECTIVE

Sporadic cases of drug-induced haemolytic anaemia due to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in patients belonging to Vataliya Prajapati community prompted us to study the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in the community.

METHODS

Screening for G6PD deficiency was carried out using the dichlorophenol-indophenol (DPIP) dye decolorization method.

RESULTS

A total of 471 individuals were screened. Of these, 385 unrelated individuals were considered to calculate the prevalence of G6PD deficiency. Among 272 unrelated males, 76 persons (27.94%) and among 113 unrelated females, 11 individuals (9.73%) were found to be G6PD deficient. A quantitative assay on 41 of the G6PD deficient samples showed the enzyme activity ranged from 0-0.5 unit/ml RBC/min.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Vataliya Prajapatis community was found to be the highest ever reported in the Indian caste-groups population studied so far.