Detection of molecular markers for chloroquine and pyrimethamine/sulfadoxineresistance in imported cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Poland
The identified mutations in the pfcrt, dhfr and dhps genes of Plasmodiumfalciparum show a very high correlation with resistance to chloroquine, pyrimethamine andsulfadoxine, the drugs that are still used as malaria chemoprophylaxis or treatment. We undertook amolecular screening of 82 Polish P. falciparum isolates, mainly imported from different countries ofsub-Saharan Africa to assess their molecular drug-resistance profiles. Only 4 isolates showed nomutations in the three analyzed gene fragments. In the remaining isolates from one to six mutationsin one or more examined genes were found. Different mutations in the pfcrt, dhfr and dhps genes werefound in ca. 76%, 80% and 70% of P. falciparum isolates, respectively. About forty our patientsused chloroquine or pyrimethamine + sulfadoxine as malaria chemoprophylaxis and/or antimalarialtreatment, but without success. In all but 5 of the P. falciparum isolates obtained from thesepersons, mutations associated to resistance of the parasite to chloroquine and the antifolate drugswere found.
Myjak, P　Nahorski, W　Szostakowska, B　Zarnowska-Prymek, H　Pietkiewicz, H
Med Univ Gdansk, Inter Fac Inst Maritime and Trop Med, Dept Trop Parasitol,PL-81519 Gdynia, Poland; Med Univ Gdansk, Inter Fac Inst Maritime and Trop Med, Dept Trop and ParasitDis, PL-81519 Gdynia, Poland; Med Univ Warsaw, Dept Zoonot and Trop Dis, PL-01201 Warsaw, Poland
Plasmodium falciparum　 drug resistance　 molecular markers　 chloroquine　pyrimethamine　 sulfadoxine　 DIHYDROFOLATE-REDUCTASE　 RAPID DETECTION　 MUTATIONS　 PFCRT　POLYMORPHISMS　 PREVALENCE　 DIAGNOSIS　 AFRICA UGANDA GENES
