Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in the middle and north of Iraq: a comparative study.

This study determined the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in Baghdad (central Iraq) and compared it with previous data from Mosul (northern Iraq). We reviewed the records of 156 under-5-year-olds with G6PD deficiency admitted to 3 hospitals in Baghdad over a 6-year period. A preponderance of males was noted in both Baghdad and Mosul (1.6:1 and 3.4:1 respectively). Family history of G6PD deficiency was positive in 19.2% of patients in Baghdad and 13.6% in Mosul. A majority of patients in Baghdad (69.2%) and Mosul (76.1%) showed haemolysis within 1-3 days of exposure to noxious agents. Similarities in the profiles from Baghdad and Mosul suggest that there are similar G6PD variants and similar exposure to precipitating agents.