[Dissimilar glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency in the Afars and the Somalis of Djibouti].

In order to determine the prevalence of deficient activity of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) among the inhabitants of the east African Republic of Djibouti, we analyzed by the methaemoglobin reduction test the blood of 170 Djiboutian males, 81 Afars and 89 Somalis. Eight subjects were found to be G-6-PD deficient, 1 Afar and 7 Somalis (1.2% versus 8%; P = 0.02). We conclude that in Djibouti, health care providers should consider the presence of potential G-6-PD deficiency in their patients, especially in males of the Somali ethnic group. Indeed, many medications are contraindicated in the G-6-PD deficient subjects, and primaquine and pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine (FANSIDAR) have to be considered dangerous anti-malarial drugs for Somali males as long as their level of G-6-PD activity has not been determined. Since in Djibouti many acute falciparum cases are presenting with severe icteric anaemia, we hypothesize that some of these haemolytic anaemias might not be caused by the parasitic infection alone, but that some malaria patients might become aggravated through the administration of haemolytic drugs in case they are G-6-PD deficient. Finally, we propose that our study should be expanded to include the systematic determination of the variants of the enzyme in all subjects found G-6-PD deficient, since the clinical manifestations of G-6-PD deficiency are directly related to the type of variant present.