title: Prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in the Croatian Adriatic Coast population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency among the population of the Croatian Adriatic Coast, part of the Mediterranean basin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The fluorescent spot test was used to screen 2,726 randomly selected high school students in the Croatian Adriatic coastal area. Fluorescence readings were performed at the beginning and at 3, 6, 10, and 25 min of incubation. Results were classified into the following three groups: bright fluorescence (BF), weak fluorescence (WF), and no fluorescence (NF). All NF and WF samples at 3 min were quantitatively measured using the spectrophotometric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve persons, 10 boys and 2 girls, were found to be deficient in G-6-PD, rendering a 0.44% prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency. All NF samples at fluorescent spot test were G-6-PD-deficient. WF at 3 min of the incubation period was present in 33 (1.2%) subjects, and only 2 (6%) were true positive. Fluorescence reading at 10 min of incubation omits five (41%) of the G-6-PD deficient samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in the Croatian Adriatic coastal population is 0.44%. Fluorescent spot test for moderate enzyme deficiency is reliable in early fluorescence reading.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Hospital Split, Split, Croatia. krzelj@kbsplit.hr
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krzelj
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zlodre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terzic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mestrovic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaksic
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavlov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase