Association of Plasmodium Falciparum Isolates Encoding the P. Falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter Gene K76t Polymorphism With Anemia and Splenomegaly, but Not With Multiple Infections

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of the study was to assess whether infections with Plasmodium falciparum isolates encoding the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) gene K76T polymorphism, a molecular marker for chloroquine resistance, are associated with multiple infections, age, or clinical signs of malaria in a semi-immune population in a holoendemic area of Burkina Faso. The parameters of interest were investigated in 210 P. falciparum-positive inhabitants. Logistic regression analysis showed that pfcrt K76T-carrying isolates are significantly more likely to cause anemia and splenomegaly. Furthermore, we found that infections with P. falciparum isolates encoding pfcrt K76T are dependent on age rather than multiple infections. Our findings suggest that pfcrt K76T might serve as a valuable marker for assessing the long-term clinical effect of chronic infections with chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum isolates in populations, without the need of drug efficacy trials.

Field-based evidence for the linkage of pfcrt and pfdhfr drug-resistant malaria genotypes and clinical profiles of severe malaria in Niger

“…The overall prevalence of pfcrt mutation obtained in this study (45.4%) is similar to that reported for uncomplicated cases in neighbouring countries: 41% in Mali [13] and 43.3% in Burkina Faso [14]. However, it is markedly lower than the 88% prevalence reported by Evans et al [5] in children hospitalised in northern Ghana.…”

“…However, it is markedly lower than the 88% prevalence reported by Evans et al [5] in children hospitalised in northern Ghana. A recent study of in vivo chloroquine resistance study in 1e5-year-old children in Niamey reported 16.6% clinical failure [15], giving a genotype-resistance index (prevalence of the resistant genotypes divided by the prevalence of parasite resistance) of between 2 and 3, as in neighbouring countries with similar epidemiological malaria profiles: Mali [9] and Burkina Faso [14]. Whatever mild and severe the malaria cases may be, the prevalence of pfcrt mutation seems to be homogeneous in this meso-endemic zone of malaria.…”

“…The pfcrt mutation tended to be associated with anaemia, but this association was not significant in our study. Abdel-Aziz et al [14] reported such a link in cases of mild malaria from Burkina Faso and related it to prolonged infections with resistant strains. Meerman et al [4] reported a significant relationship between pfcrt and SMA in Gambia.…”

Declining malaria parasite prevalence and trends of asymptomatic parasitaemia in a seasonal transmission setting in north-western Burkina Faso between 2000 and 2009–2012

“…Bourasso had 2,263 inhabitants of different ethnic groups in March 2011 who mainly live from subsistence farming and cattle keeping. A first cross-sectional survey, which was already described elsewhere [13,18,19], was carried out in October 2000 and served as a baseline for this study. Starting in 2009 until 2012 the survey was repeated both in October and April at the end of the rainy and dry season respectively.…”