Analysis of sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine resistance-conferring mutations of Plasmodium falciparum from Mozambique reveals the absence of the dihydrofolate reductase 164L mutant

摘要: Plasmodium falciparum is the predominant human malaria species in Mozambique and a lead cause of mortality among children pregnant women nationwide. Sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (S/P) used as first line antimalarial treatment partner drug combination with artesunate. A total 92 P. falciparum-infected blood samples, from uncomplicated attending Centro de Saude Bagamoyo Province Maputo-Mozambique, were screened for S/P resistance-conferring mutations pfdhfr pfdhps genes using nested mutation-specific polymerase chain reaction restriction digestion (PCR-RFLP). The panel genetic polymorphisms analysed included 164L mutation, previously reported to be absent or rare Africa. frequency resistance-associated triple mutants (51I/59R/108N) pfdhfr/pfdhps quintuple (51I/59R/108N + 437G/540E) was 93% 47%, respectively. However, no detected. observation that considerably high percentage parasites contained raises concerns about validity this first-choice Mozambique. On other hand, mutant disclosed, corroborating view allele still