Abstract
Objectives: This was a retrospective study that aimed at evaluating the relative risk of Toxoplasma infection in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency as compared to a control group with no glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Methods: Ninety-one blood donor volunteers had serology testing from Toxoplasma gondii and were screened for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency by a qualitative method using fluorescent spot test. They were all males and their ages ranged from 17 to 52 years. Results: Fifty-three persons (58%) were glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient and 38 (42%) were glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase normal. In the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient group, 31 (58.5%) had positive titers for Toxoplasma; while in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase normal group 9 persons (24%) had positive titers for Toxoplasma. The relative risk of infection was 2.5 times more in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient group, a statistically significant difference with a p value of 0.002. Conclusion: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency seems to increase the risk for Toxoplasma infection by 2.5 fold probably due to decreased killing effect, of phagocytic cells.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 330-332 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Saudi Medical Journal |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - Apr 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
- Neutrophils respiratory burst
- Pentose monophosphate shunt
- Toxoplasma gondii
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine