Acta Parasitologica, Vol. 52, No. 3, 2007, 286–291. DOI: 10.2478/s11686-007-0031-2 Przemysław Myjak (1)*, Wacław Nahorski (2), Beata Szostakowska (1), Hanna Żarnowska-Prymek (3)
and Halina Pietkiewicz (1) –
Detection of molecular markers for chloroquine and pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine resistance in imported cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Poland
(1) Department of Tropical Parasitology, Inter-Faculty Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 81-519 Gdynia, Powstania Styczniowego 9b; (2) Department of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Inter-Faculty Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 81-519 Gdynia, Powstania Styczniowego 9b; (3) Department of Zoonotic and Tropical Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, 01-201 Warszawa, Wolska 37; Poland
*Corresponding author: pemyjak@amg.gda.pl
ABSTRACT
The identified mutations in the pfcrt, dhfr and dhps genes of Plasmodium falciparum show a very high correlation with resistance
to chloroquine, pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine, the drugs that are still used as malaria chemoprophylaxis or treatment. We
undertook a molecular screening of 82 Polish P. falciparum isolates, mainly imported from different countries of sub-Saharan
Africa to assess their molecular drug-resistance profiles. Only 4 isolates showed no mutations in the three analyzed gene fragments.
In the remaining isolates from one to six mutations in one or more examined genes were found. Different mutations in
the pfcrt, dhfr and dhps genes were found in ca. 76%, 80% and 70% of P. falciparum isolates, respectively. About forty our
patients used chloroquine or pyrimethamine + sulfadoxine as malaria chemoprophylaxis and/or antimalarial treatment, but without
success. In all but 5 of the P. falciparum isolates obtained from these persons, mutations associated to resistance of the parasite
to chloroquine and the antifolate drugs were found.
KEY WORDS:
Plasmodium falciparum, drug resistance, molecular markers, chloroquine, pyrimethamine, sulfadoxine