Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common human enzyme deficiency; an estimated 400 million people worldwide are affected by this enzymopathy (6). With regards to the demographics of G6PD deficiency, most of the affected individuals reside in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The G6PD enzyme catalyzes an oxidation/reduction reaction. The G6PD enzyme functions in catalyzing the oxidation of glucose - 6 - phosphateto 6 - phosphogluconolactone while concomitantly reducing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+ ) to NADPH. This is the first step in the pentose phosphate pathway and is essential for the synthesis of both DNA and RNA (7). G6PD is also responsible for maintaining adequate levels of NADPH inside he cell.
Labsystems Diagnostics' NeoScreen G6PD kit is intended for the quantification of total glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase present in blood samples dried on filter paper. The test is based on the combined determination of free and glucose liberated from the cleavage of glucose-6-phosphate.