@article {Tabbara330, author = {Khalid F. Tabbara and Nariman A. Sharara and Abdul-Kareem Al-Momen}, title = {Toxoplasmosis in a group of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient patients}, volume = {22}, number = {4}, pages = {330--332}, year = {2001}, publisher = {Saudi Medical Journal}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: This was a retrospective study that aimed at evaluating the relative risk of Toxoplasma infection in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency as compared to a control group with no glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.METHODS: Ninety-one blood donor volunteers had serology testing from Toxoplasma gondii and were screened for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency by a qualitative method using fluorescent spot test. They were all males and their ages ranged from 17 to 52 years.RESULTS: Fifty-three persons (58\%) were glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient and 38 (42\%) were glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase normal. In the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient group, 31 (58.5\%) had positive titers for Toxoplasma; while in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase normal group 9 persons (24\%) had positive titers for Toxoplasma. The relative risk of infection was 2.5 times more in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient group, a statistically significant difference with a p value of 0.002.CONCLUSION: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency seems to increase the risk for Toxoplasma infection by 2.5 fold probably due to decreased killing effect, of phagocytic cells.}, issn = {0379-5284}, URL = {https://smj.org.sa/content/22/4/330}, eprint = {https://smj.org.sa/content/22/4/330.full.pdf}, journal = {Saudi Medical Journal} }