YEARBOOK OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 36:153—178 (1993) G6PD Deficiency as Protection Against falciparum Malaria: An Epidemiologic Critique of Population and Experimental Studies

Several recent reviews in the medical literature maintain that only heterozygous G6PD deficient females are relatively protected against falciparum malaria. However, a number of population studies pro-vide compelling evidence that both the hemizygous G6PD deficient male and homozygous G6PD deficient female are also relatively protected against falciparum parasitization. An epidemiologic critique of a sample of these field investigations points out the methodological problems that un-derlie some of the negative findings. In vitro studies also provide compelling evidence that erythrocytes from all G6PD deficient genotypes are relatively protected against falciparum infestation, and that this protection is enhanced by oxidant substances derived from a number of food crops such as