Genetic Polymorphisms in the pvdhfr, pvmdr1, and pvdhps Genes of Plasmodium vivax in Patients at a Secondary Hospital in South Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background: Plasmodium vivax is a major pathogen that causes malaria in South Korea.
Several genetic polymorphisms in dihydrofolate reductase (pvdhfr ), P. vivax multidrugresistance protein 1 (pvmdr1 ), and P. vivax hydroxymethylpterin pyrophosphokinasedihydropteroatesynthetase (pvdhps) genes are known to be associated with drug resistancein P. vivax. The objective of this study was to profile the known polymorphisms of P. vivaxresistance genes in patients at a secondary hospital in South Korea.
Methods: A total of 12 patients with confirmed P. vivax infections were enrolled for thisstudy. Sanger sequencing was performed for the pvdhfr, pvmdr1, and pvdhps genes to detectpolymorphisms of these drug resistance genes.
Results: Each specimen had single or double polymorphism in pvdhfr. One specimen had apolymorphism in pvdhps. However, no specimen had any polymorphisms in pvmdr1. Therewas no strain with multi-polymorphisms exceeding double polymorphisms, which reportedthe geographic location of treatment failure.
Conclusion: No specimen showed chloroquine-resistance polymorphism in pvmdr1.
Treatment with first-line therapy was successful. The prevalence of F57L in pvdhfr was higherthan that reported previously. This change must be confirmed by further monitoring andsurveillance of the strains with multi-polymorphisms.