title: Antimalarial drug susceptibility and point mutations associated with drug resistance in 248 Plasmodium falciparum isolates imported from Comoros to Marseille, France in 2004 2006.
abstract: A total of 248 Plasmodium falciparum isolates were sampled in travelers with malaria who came to Marseille, France from Comoros to investigate in vitro activities of antimalarial drugs and molecular markers of drug resistance. Of the 248 isolates, 126 were maintained in culture. Of these, 53% were resistant to chloroquine, and 3% had reduced susceptibility to quinine, mefloquine, and atovaquone; 1% had reduced susceptibility to halofantrine and dihydroartemisinin; 7% had reduced susceptibility to monodesethylamodiaquine; 37% had reduced susceptibility to cycloguanil; and none had reduced susceptibility to lumefantrine. Resistance-associated point mutations were screened in 207 isolates. No mutations in the cytochrome b gene were found. Of the 207 isolates, 119 (58%) had a mutation in the P. falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr) gene at codon 108, 6 (5%) had mutations in both Pfdhfr codon 108 and the P. falciparum dihydropteroate synthase codon 437, and 115 (56%) had the chloroquine resistance-associated K76T mutation in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter gene. This study represents a unique opportunity to improve surveillance of P. falciparum drug resistance in Comoros with consequences for treatment and chemoprophylaxis guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France. philippe.parola@medecine.univ-mrs.fr
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pradines
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Marie-Paule
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Carlotti
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minodier
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ranjeva
authors.forename: Sékéné
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badiaga
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertaux
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delmont
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morillon
authors.forename: Ramatou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silai
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brouqui
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parzy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017507:Comoros / Q000453:epidemiology; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D017354:Point Mutation; D014195:Travel