Objective: To study the feasibility of genetic diagnosis for female carriers of human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency by reverse transcriptase-PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (RT-PCR-DGGE).
Methods: Blood samples were collected from suspected 54 female carriers of G6PD deficiency. Total RNAs of peripheral blood were prepared and reverse-transcripted into cDNA. Design of 6 primer pairs for DGGE was based on 17 mutation sites of G6PD cDNA described in the Chinese population. Mutations in the coding region of G6PD gene were screened and genotyped by combination of PCR-DGGE and DNA sequencing.
Results: One case of 1024C/T, 20 cases of 1376G/T and 12 cases of 1388G/A were detected in the 54 samples. The total detection rate was 66.1% (33/54).
Conclusions: Heterozygous mutation rate in female carriers of G6PD deficiency detected by RT-PCR-DGGE is high. RT-PCR-DGGE is value of clinical diagnosis for G6PD-deficiency female carriers.