title: The use of primaquine in malaria infected patients with red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in Myanmar.
abstract: 32 subjects with Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes, and 31 cases with Plasmodium vivax infection from two military hospitals (Lashio, Mandalay) were treated with quinine 600 mg three times a day for 7 days followed by primaquine 45 mg single dose for gametocytes and 45 mg weekly x 8 weeks for vivax malaria. Although screening of red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was done prior to primaquine treatment, G6PD deficient subjects were not excluded from the trial. 20 patients hemizygous for mild G6PD deficiency (GdB- variant), 2 patients hemizygous for severe deficiency (Gd-Myanmar variant) completed the trial. No case of acute hemolysis was observed in all 22 patients with two genotypes of red cell G6PD deficiency status. Therefore, a single dose of primaquine 45 mg and/or weekly for 8 weeks is adequate for the treatment of patients with P. falciparum gametocytes and/or P. vivax malaria ignoring these red cell G6PD enzyme deficient variants in Myanmar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health, Yangon, Myanmar.
authors.lastname: Myat-Phone-Kyaw
authors.lastname: Myint-Oo
authors.lastname: Aung-Naing
authors.lastname: Aye-Lwin-Htwe
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology; D008706:Methemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D002052:Myanmar; D011319:Primaquine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D008706:Methemoglobin; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D011319:Primaquine