Haemolytic potential of three chemotherapeutic agents and aspirin in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

The potential haemolytic effect of three chemotherapeutic drugs and aspirin was tested in vitro by gluthathione stability tests. Blood was collected from the local population of Basra, Iraq where previous studies had found a high frequency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Primaquine, chloramphenicol and sulfanilamide caused significant concentration-dependent reductions of glutathione levels in G6PD-deficient red cells when compared to normal red cells. Acetylsalicylic acid had no effect on glutathione level. The G6PD-deficient erythrocytes behaved as previously reported, probably due to similar patterns in the distribution of its variants. Studies on each local variant are warranted and new drugs should be tested for haemolytic potential prior to their introduction in areas where the deficiency is common.