PHOTOOXIDANT INJURY TO GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE-DEFICIENT ERYTHROCYTES WITH BILIRUBIN AS THE SENSITIZER - AN IN-VITRO STUDY

To evaluate the hypothesis that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P D)-deficient erythrocytes are more prone to photooxidant injury with b ilirubin as the sensitizer, we compared the malonyl dialdehyde (MDA) l evels and haematocrit values in 11 G6PD-deficient samples with a bilir ubin: albumin molar ratio of 1:2 (10 mg% bilirubin, 2.5 g% albumin) ph otoexposed at 6 mu W cm(-2) nm(-2) (420-460 nm), with 11 of control sa mples. Twelve hours after photoexposure the incremental changes in MDA levels (OD units) were higher in G6PD-deficient samples [mean (SE) = 0.230 (0.171) vs 0.075 (0.043), p < 0.01]. Antioxidant drugs may have a protective role while G6PD-deficient neonates undergo phototherapy.