Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency
Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked recessive hereditary disease. It is said to be the most common enzyme deficiency disease in the world. A side effect of this disease is that it confers protection against malaria, in particular the form of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly form of malaria.The normal function of G6PD in the red blood cells is to maintain the level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). The NADPH in turn maintains the level of glutathione in these cells that helps protect the red blood cells against oxidative damage.
Patients with G6PD are at risk of hemolytic anemia when they consume foods (the most commonly quoted ones are fava beans) or drugs [1] that induce oxidative stresses to their cells. In these individuals, severe infections can also lead to hemolytic anemia.
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