Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
Also known as: G6PD, G-6-PD
Red blood cell enzyme that protects erythrocytes from oxidative stress (NADPH production). Its deficiency (X-linked) is the most common enzymopathy worldwide, prevalent in Africa, the Mediterranean and Asia.
Oxidant drugs can cause acute haemolysis in G6PD-deficient patients: primaquine, sulfonamides (cotrimoxazole), nitrofurantoin, dapsone, high-dose aspirin.
Substrates: glucose-6-phosphate (generates NADPH).
Inhibitors (haemolytic drugs): primaquine, tafenoquine, sulfonamides, nitrofurantoin, dapsone, methylene blue.
Inducers: not applicable.
Mandatory screening before primaquine/tafenoquine (vivax malaria) and caution with sulfonamides in at-risk populations.
DailyMed/FDA (NIH/NLM) — approved labels (primaquine, nitrofurantoin); PubMed (NIH/NLM)
