Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine efficacy and selection of Plasmodium falciparum DHFR mutations in Burkina Faso before its introduction as intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Apr;76(4):608-13.

Abstract

Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine efficacy was determined with a 28-day follow-up in 97 children between 6 months and 15 years of age. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-corrected treatment failure was 8.2% and the uncorrected was 21.6%. The presence of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and dihydropteroate synthetase (DHPS) mutations linked to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance before and after treatment was determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and by a fluorogenic PCR assay. Before treatment, the prevalence of the triple DHFR mutations was higher among the patients having had a recurrent parasitemia (either recrudescence or new infection; 28.6% versus 9.3%), although the difference was not significant (P = 0.1). The double mutation Ala-436/Gly-437 was observed in 67% of samples, whereas no Glu-540 mutation was found. After treatment, the triple DHFR mutation was found in 76.2% of patients with recurrent parasitemia, recrudescence, and new infection alike. Such high prevalence of mutant parasites indicates that sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine should not be used as monotherapy.

Publication types

  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / pharmacology
  • Burkina Faso / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chloroquine / pharmacology
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Combinations
  • Drug Resistance / genetics
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / prevention & control*
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / prevention & control
  • Pyrimethamine / administration & dosage*
  • Pyrimethamine / pharmacology*
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Sulfadoxine / administration & dosage*
  • Sulfadoxine / pharmacology*
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / genetics*

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Drug Combinations
  • fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination
  • Sulfadoxine
  • Chloroquine
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase
  • Pyrimethamine