Molecular Markers Assessment of Chloroquine Resistance to Plasmodium falciparum Isolates in Wad Medani District, Gezira State, Sudan

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Molecular surveillance of antimalarials resistance is of significant importance for the endemic countries, the introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) into malaria research becomes an essential tool to investigate several genetic mutations to predict or monitor antimalarial drugs resistance . Method: In Wad Medani district central Sudan, 51 blood isolates were collected in filter paper from individuals infected with P. falciparum, DNA was extracted from each sample and then subjected to molecular analysis for chloroquine transporter (pfcrt) and multi-drugs resistance1 (Pfmdr1), using the polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism ( PCR-RFLP ) method. Result:

The results showed that 30/40 (75%) were pfcrt at codon 76 mutant and 10/40(25%) were wild type while the results of pfmdr1 at codon 86 demonstrated that 22/37(59.5%) were mutant and 15/37(40.5%) wild type, both mutations were abundant in 19 of the isolates while each mutaion alone was abundant in 11 and 3 for pfcrt and pfmdr1 respectively, indicating that the frequency of CQ resistant mutations was 33/40(82.5%). Conclusion; This study concluded that the mutations in pfcrt and pfmdr genes were abundant with high frequency among the P. falciparum population