Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency, Thalassaemia, and Abnormal Haemoglobins in the Philippines

During I960 blood specimens were obtained from 403 persons living in Manila (Series A), who were students in medical schools, student nurses, and in-patients in a children's home.Of these, 295 were males and io8 females (all student nurses) and they originated in all parts of the Philippines.In addition II2 blood specimens were obtained from Philippino male cannery workers living in Alaska § (Series B).Venous samples of blood were collected into acid dextrose citrate solution and sent by air to Seattle in re- frigerated containers immediately after drawing.They arrived within 24-48 hours in excellent con- dition.The primary interest of this study was to deter- mine the prevalence of G6PD deficiency, thalas- saemia, and abnormal haemoglobins in the Philippines, which until recently had been an area of heavy malarial infestation.In addition blood and serum group studies are described in a companion paper. G6PD DeficiencyBrilliant cresyl blue decolorization tests (Motulsky and Campbell-Kraut, i96i) were performed on the 295 males of Series A. Of these, I2 were un- equivocally deficient in G6PD (4 I %).In Series B the prevalence of G6PD deficiency was higher, 15 or I3 4% of the I12 lacking the enzyme.The birth places of all members of both series were recorded (Fig. i).