Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Angola show the S tct VMNT haplotype in the pfcrt gene

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Lutucuta Kosi Florbela JI, Pereira-Carvalho Guilhermina AL, Gama Bianca E, Almeida de Oliveira Natália K, Fortes Filomeno, Rosenthal Philip J, Daniel-Ribeiro Cláudio T, de Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz Maria
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2010
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-9-174; https://doaj.org/article/c7441632f8e84b479546fc727f04d1ae

Abstract Background Effective treatment remains a mainstay of malaria control, but it is unfortunately strongly compromised by drug resistance, particularly in Plasmodium falciparum , the most important human malaria parasite. Although P. falciparum chemoresistance is well recognized all over the world, limited data are available on the distribution and prevalence of pfcrt and pfmdr1 haplotypes that mediate resistance to commonly used drugs and that show distinct geographic differences. Methods Plasmodium falciparum -infected blood samples collected in 2007 at four municipalities of Luanda, Angola, were genotyped using PCR and direct DNA sequencing. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the P. falciparum pfcrt and pfmdr1 genes were assessed and haplotype prevalences were determined. Results and Discussion The most prevalent pfcrt haplotype was S tct VMN T (representing amino acids at codons 72-76). This result was unexpected, since the S tct VMN T haplotype has previously been seen mainly in parasites from South America and India. The CV IET , CVMN T and CV I N T drug-resistance haplotypes were also found, and one previously undescribed haplotype (CVM DT ) was detected. Regarding pfmdr1 , the most prevalent haplotype was Y EYSNVD (representing amino acids at codons 86, 130, 184, 1034, 1042, 1109 and 1246). Wild haplotypes for pfcrt and pfmdr1 were uncommon; 3% of field isolates harbored wild type pfcrt (CVMNK), whereas 21% had wild type pfmdr1 (NEYSNVD). The observed predominance of the S tct VMN T haplotype in Angola could be a result of frequent travel between Brazil and Angola citizens in the context of selective pressure of heavy CQ use. Conclusions The high prevalence of the pfcrt S VMN T haplotype and the pfmdr1 86 Y mutation confirm high-level chloroquine resistance and might suggest reduced efficacy of amodiaquine in Angola. Further studies must be encouraged to examine the in vitro sensitivity of pfcrt S VMN T parasites to artesunate and amodiaquine for better conclusive data.