title: [Hemoglobinopathies and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in the sub-Saharan immigrant population of the Center and South Maresme region, Catalonia, Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prevalence of hemoglobinophaty S and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency are very increased in certain zones of Western Africa due to the positive pressure exerted by malaria on these congenital defects. In Maresme, a region of East Catalonia, there is a numerous community of African people, coming from areas of Western Africa where sickle cell trait and G6PD deficiency are frequent. The aim of our study was to know the prevalence of both disturbances in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 204 individuals of black ethnical background who were migrant Africans. They attended the Immigrant Attention Unit or Outside Surgery Department of Consorcio Sanitario de Mataró for any medical or surgical problems but not for anemia. The G6PD deficiency was determined by a quantitative assay and 2 screening techniques. The identification of abnormal hemoglobins was done by electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 141 males (69%) and 63 females (31%). Mean age was 30.8 years (range: 1-70). The studied population came from Gambia, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Somalia, Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mauritania, and were members of the Sarankhole, Mande, Fulani, Peul, Djola, Bambara, Pare and Ibo ethnic groups (according to the frequency order). We found abnormal hemoglobins in 44 subjects (21.5%): 36 hemoglobin S carriers, 7 hemoglobin C carriers and one hemoglobin C homozygous. Moreover, we identified G6PD deficiency in 31 subjects. According to these results, the prevalence of hemoglobinophaty S in these people is 17.6%; the prevalence of hemoglobinophaty C is 3.9%, and the prevalence of G6PD deficiency is 15.2%. The association of abnormal hemoglobins and G6PD deficiency was found only in a 3% of the cases (2.5% hemoglobinophaty S and 0.5% hemoglobinophaty C).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This results demonstrate a high prevalence of hemoglobinopathies and G6PD deficiency in this population. The morbidity and mortality of sickle cell disease and the complications due to G6PD deficiency, besides the easy detection using electrophoresis and G6PD determination, make it necessary to standardize these tests in areas with high density of black people.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Laboratorio, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Martorell, Unidad de Hematología, Hospital Comarcal de Sant Boi, Barcelona, España. glasheras@hmartorell.es
authors.forename: Germán
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Las Heras Manso
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Juncà Piera
authors.forename: Evarist
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feliu Frasnedo
authors.forename: Joan Manel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rovira Fernández
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gil García
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology