Detection of the dihydrofolate reductase-164L mutation in Plasmodium falciparum infections from Malawi by heteroduplex tracking assay

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008 Jun;78(6):892-4.

Abstract

Standard polymerase chain reaction methods often cannot detect drug-resistance mutations in Plasmodium falciparum infections if the mutation is present in < or = 20% of the parasites. A heteroduplex tracking assay was developed that can detect dihydrofolate reductase 164-L mutations in variants representing 1% of the parasites in an individual host. Using this assay, we confirmed the presence of the mutation in P. falciparum infections in Malawi.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA Primers
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Falciparum / enzymology
  • Malaria, Falciparum / genetics*
  • Malawi
  • Mutation*
  • Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / enzymology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / genetics
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase