Short communication: Point mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase and dihydropteroate synthase genes of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Colombia

Point mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) genes of Plasmodium falciparum can lead to an increasing resistance of P. falciparum to pyrimethamine/ sulphadoxine. We examined the prevalence of these mutations in 36 samples from Colombia. Analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for infection with P. falciparum 25 (69%) tested positive. These positive isolates were tested further for point mutations in the genes of DHFR (codons 16 51 59 108 and 164) and DHPS (codons 436 437 540 581 and 613) by nested PCR and following mutationspecific restriction enzyme digestion. Gene mutations occurred in both the DHFR and DHPS gene of the Colombian isolates suggesting that resistance to antifolate drugs exists or may develop soon in Colombia. (authors)