Enzyme activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient Malaysian neonates during the first 10 days of life.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the degree of severity of enzyme deficiency in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient Malaysian neonates as part of an effort to identify risk factors associated with severe hyperbilirubinaemia in G6PD-deficient infants.


METHODS
During this study, enzyme activity was measured in 53/59 (89.8%) hospital-diagnosed G6PD-deficient neonates (34 Malays, 12 Chinese, and seven other ethnic groups) born consecutively in the Kuala Lumpur Maternity Hospital. All neonates, except one, were males.


RESULTS
The mean level of enzyme activity of the 52 males G6PD-deficient neonates (0.47 iu/g Hb, 95% confidence intervals: 0.37, 0.57) was less than 10% of that of normal Malaysian male neonates. The enzyme activity of the only female G6PD-deficient infant, at 1.11 iu/g Hb, was 12.5% of the mean G6PD enzyme activity of normal females.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that G6PD deficiency in Malaysian neonates predominantly affects males and is usually severe.
Boo
N Y
NY
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Ainoon
O
O
Arif
Z A
ZA
Cheong
S K
SK
Haliza
M S
MS
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000201:enzymology; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors