Association of methemoglobinemia and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in malaria patients treated with primaquine

This study had the aim of investigating occurrences of methemoglobinemia among individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency during treatment for malaria infection using primaquine. Patients with a diagnosis of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax or the V+F mixture (Plasmodium vivax + Plasmodium falciparum) were selected. Group I consisted of 74 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of methemoglobinemia and Group 2 consisted of,161 individuals without a clinical diagnosis of methemoglobinemia. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency rates (numbers of enzymopenic individuals) in Groups I and 2 were 51.3%(38) and 8.7%(14) respective. These data demonstrated a statistically significant association with methemoglobinemia only among the individuals in Group I (p<0.05). Investigation of the relationship between methemoglobinemia and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency showed that there was a possible association such that enzymopenic individuals may develop methemoglobinemia more frequently.