Altered Plasmodium falciparum Sensitivity to the Antiretroviral Protease Inhibitor Lopinavir Associated with Polymorphisms in pfmdr1

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2016 Dec 27;61(1):e01949-16. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01949-16. Print 2017 Jan.

Abstract

The HIV protease inhibitor lopinavir inhibits Plasmodium falciparum aspartic proteases (plasmepsins) and parasite development, and children receiving lopinavir-ritonavir experienced fewer episodes of malaria than those receiving other antiretroviral regimens. Resistance to lopinavir was selected in vitro over ∼9 months, with ∼4-fold decreased sensitivity. Whole-genome sequencing of resistant parasites showed a mutation and increased copy number in pfmdr1 and a mutation in a protein of unknown function, but no polymorphisms in plasmepsin genes.

Keywords: HIV; Plasmodium falciparum; antiretroviral; aspartic protease; drug resistance; drug resistance mechanisms; drug sensitivity; lopinavir; malaria; pfmdr1.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Antimalarials / pharmacology*
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance / drug effects*
  • Drug Resistance / genetics
  • Erythrocytes / drug effects
  • Erythrocytes / parasitology
  • Gene Expression
  • Genome*
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Lopinavir / pharmacology*
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins / genetics*
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics
  • Plasmodium falciparum / growth & development
  • Plasmodium falciparum / metabolism
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • HIV Protease Inhibitors
  • Mdr1 protein, Plasmodium falciparum
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Lopinavir
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • plasmepsin