Prevalence of polymorphisms in DHFR, DHPS, PFMDR1 and PFCRT genes of Plasmodium falciparum isolates in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam
Phuc, B.Q.; Caruana, S.R.; Cowman, A.F.; Biggs, B-Ann.; Thanh, N.V.; Tien, N.T.; Thuan, L.K.
Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 39(6): 959-962
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-1562 PMID: 19062682 Document Number: 617044
In 2002 an antimalarial drug resistance survey was carried out in a seasonally endemic area of Vietnam. Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (S/P) was the standard treatment recommended for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in that area at the time. Early or late treatment failure as defined by WHO was observed in 14.9% (7/47) of patients. Molecular analysis of treatment failure isolates identified that 5/6 carried two or more dhfr and dhps polymorphisms associated with S/P resistance. Chloroquine resistance-associated polymorphisms occurred in 38.5% (15/39) of the isolates. These results support the move to artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria in Vietnam.