Amodiaquine Resistance in <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> Malaria in Afghanistan Is Associated with the <i>pfcrt</i> SVMNT Allele at Codons 72 to 76

Abstract

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum genes pfcrt and pfmdr1 are selected by amodiaquine treatment in Africa. To examine the importance of these mutations in amodiaquine-treated Asian parasites, we determined pre- and posttreatment genotypes for amodiaquine treatment failures from a clinical trial in Afghanistan. The pfcrt codon 72 to 76 haplotype SVMNT was present in all samples tested, both before and after treatment. Amodiaquine did not clearly select for any pfmdr1 genotype, but a novel mutation, pfmdr1 N86F, was detected in four samples. We provide in vivo data to support the in vitro correlation between pfcrt SVMNT and increased resistance to the metabolite of amodiaquine.