Frequency distribution of antimalarial drug resistance alleles among Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Gezira State, central Sudan, and Gedarif State, eastern Sudan

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010 Aug;83(2):250-7. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0514.

Abstract

In 2004, Sudan adopted artesunate + sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) combination as the first-line drug, in response to the high level of falciparum resistance to antimalarials. In 2007, a molecular study on antimalarial resistance linked genes, pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, pfdhps, and pfATPase6, was conducted on 198 isolates from central and eastern Sudan. We observed a high frequency of point mutations at almost all loci analyzed, mainly of pfcrt 76T (72.7%), pfdhfr 51I (75.3%), and pfdhfr 108N (72.7%) alleles. The MARK III in vitro test for chloroquine sensitivity in 45 P. falciparum isolates showed that 37.8% of the isolates were low resistant and 6.7% were fully resistant. This study represents the most recent molecular investigation on antimalarial resistance in this area after the adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), and underlines the importance of the analysis of SP resistance evolution to monitor the efficacy of ACT therapy in endemic areas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Alleles
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Resistance / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy
  • Malaria, Falciparum / epidemiology
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Sudan / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antimalarials