Absence of a High Level of Duplication of the Plasmepsin II Gene in Africa

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2018 Oct 24;62(11):e00374-18. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00374-18. Print 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Resistance to piperaquine has been associated with the amplification of the plasmepsin II gene in Cambodia. None of the 175 African isolates that we analyzed had plasmepsin II gene amplification (piperaquine 50% inhibitory concentration ranged from 0.94 to 137.5 nM), suggesting there is a low prevalence of piperaquine reduced susceptibility in Africa. Additionally, the few isolates with reduced susceptibility to piperaquine did not harbor amplification of the plasmepsin II gene.

Keywords: Plasmodium falciparum; antimalarial drug; in vitro; malaria; molecular marker; piperaquine; plasmepsin II gene; resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Africa
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology
  • Artemisinins / pharmacology
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / genetics*
  • Cambodia
  • DNA Copy Number Variations / genetics
  • Drug Resistance / genetics
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics*
  • Quinolines / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Quinolines
  • piperaquine
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • plasmepsin II