Assessment of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency and Anaemia in Apparently Healthy Students in Gombe State University

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is a key regulatory enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) which produces nicotiamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to maintain an adequate reducing environment in cells and is especially important in red blood cells (RBC). Given its central role in the regulation of redox state, it is well known that deficiency of this enzyme causes haemolytic crisis and could affect both males and females. This study aimed at determining the packed cell volume (PCV) and finding out the prevalence of G6PD in both genders. Samples were collected randomly from apparently healthy students in Gombe state university and results were analysed according to age, gender and PCV and presented in percentages. The prevalence of G6PD in the total population screened indicates that the deficiency of G6PD in male subjects was 20% and 7.5% in female subjects which indicates that the male subjects of Gombe state University had higher number of deficient subjects. PCV (35.93±15%) of both male and female subjects who reacted positively to G6PD deficiency was significantly (p˂0.05) lower when compared to the PCV (40.6 6±78%) of students without deficiency (normal group) and those with intermediate status of G6PD deficiency (39.32±7%). The study therefore suggests the need for routine G6PD screening test on anaemic patients to avoid factors which could further precipitate hemolytic crisis.