SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF K13 PROPELLER GENE POLYMORPHISM OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM-INFECTED PATIENTS IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt

Abstract

Artemisinins (ART) are world's most effective anti-malarial drugs, which replaced chloroquine
and other antimalarials after emergence of resisting strains to them. They caused a
marked malaria deaths’ reduction with a hope of future world free of malaria. Unfortunately,
Artemisinin-resisting Plasmodium strains have emerged in many Asian Countries, although
rarely detected in Africa till now; regular screening of resistance genes is a must as Africa recorded
the highest endemic and pandemic cases. So, emergence of ART resistance would be
risky due to the limited treatment facilities. This study screened K13-propeller gene polymerphisms
related to ART resistance in P. falciparum-infected patients at Abassia Fever Hospital,
Egypt. Clinical and laboratory evaluations of patients were performed; those who displayed delayed
parasite clearance were screened for polymorphisms of the K13-propeller gene by nested
PCR and sequencing. Sequences were retrieved from 20 (90.9%) of the 22 samples with delayed
clearance. Seven K13 gene mutations were discovered in 9 samples (9/20) (i.e., 45 %) of
all tested sequences. Two of the seven-point mutations were synonymous, whereas the other
five were non-synonymous (R410I, N772K, S775F, C778M, H783S) but not identified as a
cause of delayed clearance.

Keywords

Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology
Volume 51, Issue 3
December 2021
Pages 423-430

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