Evaluation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and hematological changes in psychotic patients undergoing antipsychotic chemotherapy in Benin City

• Main Authors: Evarista Odaburhine Osime, Felicitas Ezinwanne Onuigbo, Stephen Chikaodiri Samuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2018-01-01
• Series: Sahel Medical Journal
• Subjects: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; hematologic; psychosis
• Online Access: http://www.smjonline.org/article.asp?issn=1118-8561;year=2018;volume=21;issue=1;spage=37;epage=41;aulast=Osime

Background: Drug-induced hemolytic anemia can be life threatening and may pose a threat to the management and disease progression of some illnesses. The aim of this work is to evaluate changes in hematologic parameters and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity in psychotic patients undergoing antipsychotic chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 participants comprising of 35 psychotic patients (21 males and 14 females) with mean age of 40.5 ± 5 years as test participants and 35 apparently healthy nonpsychotic individuals (20 males and 15 females) with mean age of 25.5 ± 1.5 years as controls were used for this study. G6PD was estimated spectrophotometrically using Randox G6PD assay kit while the hematological parameters were determined using the Erma hematology autoanalyzer. Morphology of the blood samples was manually done by making a thin film stained by Leishman stain and examined microscopically using the oil immersion objective. Results: G6PD activity was found to be higher in test participants (P = 0.075) when compared to the control group. Its activity was also observed to be higher in females when compared to the males (P = 0.051). Hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, values, mean cell volume, and mean cell hemoglobin were observed to be lower in test participants when compared to the controls (P< 0.05, P = 0.001, P = 0.022, and P = 0.044, respectively). There were no significant differences in total white blood cell counts (WBCs), lymphocytes, granulocytes, platelet count, and red cell distribution width in test participants when compared to controls (P = 0.177, P = 0.665, P = 0.086, P = 0.159, and P = 0.060, respectively). Conclusion: There are changes in hematologic parameters using antipsychotic drugs, and these changes may predispose an individual to iron deficiency anemia and to hemolytic episodes.