Differential prevalence of transporter polymorphisms in symptomatic and asymptomatic falciparum malaria infections in Uganda

J Infect Dis. 2014 Jul 1;210(1):154-7. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiu044. Epub 2014 Jan 19.

Abstract

We explored associations between Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance-mediating polymorphisms and clinical presentations in parasitemic children enrolled in a cross-sectional survey in Tororo, Uganda, using a retrospective case-control design. All 243 febrile children (cases) and 243 randomly selected asymptomatic children (controls) were included. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for age, complexity of infection, and parasite density, the prevalence of wild-type genotypes was significantly higher in febrile children compared to asymptomatic children (pfcrt K76T: odds ratio [OR] 4.41 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.28-15.1]; pfmdr1 N86Y: OR 4.08 [95% CI, 2.01-8.31], and pfmdr1 D1246Y: OR 4.90 [95% CI, 1.52-15.8]), suggesting greater virulence for wild-type parasites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Drug Resistance*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / pathology*
  • Male
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / isolation & purification
  • Plasmodium falciparum / pathogenicity
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Uganda
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Mdr1 protein, Plasmodium falciparum
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins
  • PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum
  • Protozoan Proteins