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Heterogeneous distribution of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance haplotypes in subsets of the host population

Schoepflin, Sonja, Marfurt, Jutta, Goroti, Mary, Baisor, Moses, Mueller, Ivo and Felger, Ingrid (2008). Heterogeneous distribution of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance haplotypes in subsets of the host population. Malaria Journal,7:78-86.

Document type: Journal Article

IRMA ID 10612xPUB3
Title Heterogeneous distribution of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance haplotypes in subsets of the host population
Author Schoepflin, Sonja
Marfurt, Jutta
Goroti, Mary
Baisor, Moses
Mueller, Ivo
Felger, Ingrid
Journal Name Malaria Journal
Publication Date 2008
Volume Number 7
ISSN 1475-2875   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
Start Page 78
End Page 86
Total Pages 9
Place of Publication United Kingdom
Publisher BioMed Central Ltd.
Field of Research 1108 - Medical Microbiology
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DEST)
Abstract Background
The emergence of drug resistance is a major problem in malaria control. For mathematical modelling of the transmission and spread of drug resistance the determinant parameters need to be identified and measured. The underlying hypothesis is that mutations associated with drug resistance incur fitness costs to the parasite in absence of drug pressure. The distribution of drug resistance haplotypes in different subsets of the host population was investigated. In particular newly acquired haplotypes after radical cure were characterized and compared to haplotypes from persistent infections.

Methods
Mutations associated with antimalarial drug resistance were analysed in parasites from children, adults, and new infections occurring after treatment. Twenty-five known single nucleotide polymorphisms from four Plasmodium falciparum genes associated with drug resistance were genotyped by DNA chip technology.

Results
Haplotypes were found to differ between subsets of the host population. A seven-fold mutated haplotype was significantly reduced in adults compared to children and new infections, whereas parasites harbouring fewer mutations were more frequent in adults.

Conclusion
The reduced frequency of highly mutated parasites in chronic infections in adults is likely a result of fitness costs of drug resistance that increases with number of mutations and is responsible for reduced survival of mutant parasites.


DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-7-78   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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