Abstract | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: POPULATION AND METHOD: We studied 204 individuals of black ethnical background who were migrant Africans. They attended the Immigrant Attention Unit or Outside Surgery Department of Consorcio Sanitario de Mataró for any medical or surgical problems but not for anemia. The G6PD deficiency was determined by a quantitative assay and 2 screening techniques. The identification of abnormal hemoglobins was done by electrophoresis. RESULTS: We studied 141 males (69%) and 63 females (31%). Mean age was 30.8 years (range: 1-70). The studied population came from Gambia, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Somalia, Guinea Conakry, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mauritania, and were members of the Sarankhole, Mande, Fulani, Peul, Djola, Bambara, Pare and Ibo ethnic groups (according to the frequency order). We found abnormal hemoglobins in 44 subjects (21.5%): 36 hemoglobin S carriers, 7 hemoglobin C carriers and one hemoglobin C homozygous. Moreover, we identified G6PD deficiency in 31 subjects. According to these results, the prevalence of hemoglobinophaty S in these people is 17.6%; the prevalence of hemoglobinophaty C is 3.9%, and the prevalence of G6PD deficiency is 15.2%. The association of abnormal hemoglobins and G6PD deficiency was found only in a 3% of the cases (2.5% hemoglobinophaty S and 0.5% hemoglobinophaty C). CONCLUSIONS: This results demonstrate a high prevalence of hemoglobinopathies and G6PD deficiency in this population. The morbidity and mortality of sickle cell disease and the complications due to G6PD deficiency, besides the easy detection using electrophoresis and G6PD determination, make it necessary to standardize these tests in areas with high density of black people.
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Authors | Germán Las Heras Manso, Jordi Juncà Piera, Evarist Feliu Frasnedo, Joan Manel Rovira Fernández, Miguel Gil García |
Journal | Medicina clinica
(Med Clin (Barc))
Vol. 131
Issue 1
Pg. 5-9
(Jun 07 2008)
ISSN: 0025-7753 [Print] Spain |
Vernacular Title | Estudio de hemoglobinopatías y del déficit de glucosa-6-fosfato deshidrogenasa en la población inmigrante subsahariana del centro y sur del Maresme (Cataluña). |
PMID | 18582416
(Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article)
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Africa South of the Sahara
(ethnology)
- Aged
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Emigrants and Immigrants
- Female
- Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency
(epidemiology)
- Hemoglobinopathies
(epidemiology)
- Humans
- Infant
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prevalence
- Spain
(epidemiology)
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