What is G6PD disease?
G6PD deficiency is an inherited condition. It is when the body doesn’t have enough of an enzyme called G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). This enzyme helps red blood cells work correctly. A lack of this enzyme can cause hemolytic anemia. This is when the red blood cells break down faster than they are made.
What is the most serious complication of G6PD?
Affected children may also have an enlarged spleen. Most have a mild to moderate anemia, but severe, transfusion-dependent anemia can develop. Affected individuals can potentially develop severe complications such as hypovolemic shock. In rare cases, severe acute hemolysis has led to acute kidney failure.
Is G6PD serious?
In severe cases, it can even lead to kidney failure or death. Fortunately, symptoms of G6PD deficiency typically disappear once the trigger is recognized and removed. When the condition is identified through newborn screening and properly managed, children with G6PD deficiency often can lead healthy lives.
What infection triggers G6PD?
It has also been demonstrated that infections caused by certain viruses, such as hepatitis viruses (A, B, and E) and cytomegalovirus, were associated with hemolytic anemia in patients with G6PD deficiency [8,9].
What medicine should G6PD avoid?
The following is a partial list of medications and chemicals that individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency should avoid:
- Acetanilid.
- Furazolidone.
- Isobutyl nitrite.
- Nalidixic acid.
- Naphthalene.
- Niridazole.
- Sulfa drugs.
What foods should G6PD avoid?
Table 1
| Foods/chemicals that should be avoided by G6PD‐deficient individuals | Foods/chemicals for which caution should be exercised during consumption |
|---|---|
| Fava beans Naphthalene Aniline dyes | Food colouring agent 1‐phenylazo‐2‐naphthol‐6‐sulphonic acid |
What happens if G6PD is high?
Levels of G6PD are higher in the newborn than they are in the adult. When high levels are seen in older patients, it invariably reflects the presence of a young red blood cell population with reticulocytosis.
Is Vitamin C good for G6PD?
Vitamin C has been categorised as “probably safe” in “normal therapeutic doses” in G6PD deficiency.
Can G6PD be cured?
There is no cure for G6PD deficiency, and it is a lifelong condition. However, most people with G6PD deficiency have a completely normal life as long as they avoid the triggers.
What are the symptoms of glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency?
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency ( G6PDD) is an inborn error of metabolism that predisposes to red blood cell breakdown. Most of the time, those who are affected have no symptoms. Following a specific trigger, symptoms such as yellowish skin, dark urine, shortness of breath,…
How does G6PDD deficiency affect red blood cells?
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD) is an inborn error of metabolism that predisposes to red blood cell breakdown. Most of the time, those who are affected have no symptoms.
What does G6PDD stand for in medical terms?
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD) is an inborn error of metabolism that predisposes to red blood cell breakdown.
Where is the G6PD gene on the X chromosome?
All mutations that cause G6PD deficiency are found on the long arm of the X chromosome, on band Xq28. The G6PD gene spans some 18.5 kilobases. The following variants and mutations are well-known and described: