MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF G6PD DEFICIENCY IN OMAN

Screening of unselected university students in the Sultanate of Oman r evealed an overall frequency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P D) deficiency of 26% in males. Samples from 23 G6PD-deficient individu als (a random sub-sample of the student population), were characterise d biochemically and at the molecular level. Of 20 deficient men, 15 ha d G6PD Mediterranean, 2 had G6PD Chatham, 1 had G6PD A- and in 2 the m utation is not yet known. Of the 3 G6PD-deficient woman, 2 were homozy gous for the G6PD Mediterranean mutation and 1 was a genetic compound, G6PD Mediterranean/G6PD A-(the first report of this genotype). Our fi ndings establish that the G6PD Mediterranean mutation accounts for mos t cases of G6PD deficiency in Oman. The presence of G6PD A- at a polym orphic frequency can be regarded as evidence of significant gene flow from Africa.