- © 2006 Marshfield Clinic
Imbalanced Distribution of Plasmodium falciparum EBA-175 Genotypes Related to Clinical Status in Children from Bakoumba, Gabon
- Fousseyni S. Touré, PhD,
- C. Bisseye and
- Elie Mavoungou, PhD
- Fousseyni S. Touré, PhD, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, BP 769 Franceville, Gabon.
- C. Bisseye, PhD student, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, BP 769 Franceville, Gabon.
- Elie Mavoungou, PhD, Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon and Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Parasitology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
- Reprint Requests:
Dr. E. Mavoungou, PhD; Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon; c/o Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Parasitology, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; Tel: 7071/298 21 94; Fax: 7071/29 58; Email: elie.mavoungou{at}uni-tuebingen.de
Abstract
Objective: The erythrocyte binding antigen 175 kDa (EBA-175) of Plasmodium falciparum is one of the major ligands for red blood cell invasion by merozoites. EBA-175 is a dimorphic antigen but the role that dimorphism plays in host parasite interaction is not fully understood. In this study, we sought to determine the distribution of EBA-175 genotypes and its pathogenetic influence.
Methods: The nested polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the genotypes of P. falciparum isolates from asymptomatic and symptomatic Gabonese children.
Results: CAMP strains (C-segment) and FCR-3 strains (F-segment) were found in 13/50 (26%) and 19/50 (38%) symptomatic children, respectively and in 16/66 (24%) and 46/66 (70%) asymptomatic children, respectively. The prevalence of mixed C-/F- infection was 18/50 (36%) and 4/66 (6%) in symptomatic and asymptomatic children, respectively.
Conclusions: These results show that mixed C-/F- infection is associated with clinical malaria (χ2, P <0.01) and may have important therapeutic implications.
