The majority of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient individuals who have been subjected to severe oxidative stress due to contact with precipitating factors such as in drug induced haemolysis, favism and infections will show a wide spectrum of symptoms. Amongst the common signs which have been reported are fatigue, paleness, shortness of breath, tachycardia, jaundice (yellow skin), dark or red urine, fever, enlarged spleen, abdominal pain and vomiting in some. 11. 21.
A multitude of tests has to be carried out to be able to diagnose positively that an individual is suffering from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. The tests are aimed at looking for signs of any disequilibrium in the plasma constituents. The tests which could be done are listed in Table 2. 11.The means for classifying the types of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is to measure the residual glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity of the blood sample as set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). A method commonly used to determine red blood cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is the method devised by Beutlar, expressed in International units per gram haemoglobin (Hb) at 37 degrees Celcius which varies from the WHO method carried out at 25 degrees Celcius. 2.Another alternative is to estimate enzyme activity using fluorescent ultraviolet light from increases in absorbance at 340nm wavelength at 30 degrees Celcius. 8. 20.
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Prepared on 01 Jan 2008 by teekoonhien |
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