1. Reference spectrophotometric values for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in two-to six-month-old infants on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
- Author
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Bancone G, Poe DD, Gornsawun G, Htway PP, Gilder ME, Archasuksan L, Chotivanich K, McGready R, and Nosten F
- Abstract
Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency represents a barrier to the full deployment of anti-malarial drugs for vivax malaria elimination and of first-line antibiotics. Lack of established reference ranges for G6PD activity in breast-fed infants puts them at risk of drug-induced haemolysis and restricts access to safe treatment of their mothers., Methods: The present work was undertaken to establish age-specific G6PD normal values using the gold standard spectrophotometric assay to support the future clinical use of tafenoquine in lactating women and safer antibiotic treatment in infants., Results: Spectrophotometric results collected at the Thai-Myanmar border from 78 healthy infants between the ages of 2 and 6 months showed a trend of decreased enzymatic activity with increasing age (which did not reach statistical significance when comparing 2-3 months old against 4-6 months old infants) and provided a reference normal value of 100% activity for infants 2-6 months old of 10.18IU/gHb., Conclusions: Normal reference G6PD activity in 2-6-month-old infants was approximately 140% of that observed in G6PD normal adults from the same population. Age specific G6PD activity thresholds should be used in paediatric populations to avoid drug-induced haemolysis., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Bancone G et al.)
- Published
- 2024
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