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.