Diagnostic accuracy of the point-of-care standard G6PD test™ (SD Biosensor) for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) is a common genetic enzymopathy that can induce haemolysis triggered by various factors, including some anti-malarial drugs. Although many Point-of-Care (PoC) tests, such as Standard G6PD™ are available to detect G6PDd, its pooled diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) remains unknown. Methods To estimate the DTA of StandG6PD-BS at various thresholds of G6PDd, a systematic review with a DTA meta-analysis were conducted, searching EMBASE, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases up to April 4, 2024.The included studies were those that measured G6PD activity using StandG6PD-BS (reference test) and spectrophotometry (gold standard) in patients suspected of having G6PDd. The risk of bias (RoB) of the studies was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool and the certainty of evidence (CoE) with the GRADE approach. For the estimation of within-study DTA, a random-effect bivariate meta-analysis was performed to determine the pooled sensitivity and specificity for 30%, 70%, and 80% enzyme levels’ thresholds, and a graphical analysis of the heterogeneity using crosshair and Confidence Regions on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) space plots. Results After screening 2496 reports, four studies were included with 7864 participants covering all thresholds. Two studies had high RoB in QUADAS-2 domains 2 and 3, and the others had low RoB, with low, moderate, and high heterogeneity at the 30%, 70%, and 80% thresholds, respectively. The pooled sensitivity was 99.1%, 95.7%, and 90% for 30%, 70%, and 80% thresholds, respectively. The pooled specificity was 97.4%; 92.9%; and 89.0% for 30%, 70%, and 80% thresholds, respectively. Conclusion StandG6PD-BS is a PoC test with high sensitivity and specificity to detect G6PDd at different thresholds.