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HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is a disabling complication of HIV disease and antiretroviral therapies (ART). Since stavudine was removed from recommended treatment schedules, the prevalence of HIV-SN has declined and associated risk factors have changed. With stavudine, rs1799964*C (TNF-1031) associated with HIV-SN in Caucasians and Indonesians but not in South Africans. Here, we investigate associations between HIV-SN and rs1799964*C and 12 other polymorphisms spanning TNF and seven neighboring genes (the TNF-block) in Indonesians (n = 202; 34/168 cases) and South Africans (n = 75; 29/75 cases) treated without stavudine. Haplotypes were derived using fastPHASE and haplotype networks built with PopART. There were no associations with rs1799964*C in either population. However, rs9281523*C in intron 10 of BAT1 (alternatively DDX39B) independently associated with HIV-SN in Indonesians after correcting for lower CD4 T-cell counts and >500 copies of HIV RNA/mL (model p = 0.0011, Pseudo R² = 0.09). rs4947324*T (between NFKBIL1 and LTA) independently associated with reduced risk of HIV-SN and shared haplotype 1 (containing no minor alleles) associated with increased risk of HIV-SN after correcting for greater body weight, a history of tuberculosis and nadir CD4 T-cell counts (model: p = 0.0003, Pseudo R² = 0.22). These results confirm TNF-block genotypes influence susceptibility of HIV-SN. However, critical genotypes differ between ethnicities and with stavudine use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the population genetics of genes which shape resistance to antimalarial drugs can help in devising novel control strategies. The high spread of the resistant strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum pose a greater challenge than before to the control programs across the world. Specific mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistant transporter gene “ Pfcrt ” have been associated with resistance to not only chloroquine, but also to amodiaquine, one of the artemisinin partners used in Cameroon for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. We here present data on genetic variation at the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) level in the Pfcrt gene in five distinct geographical settings of the Southern-Cameroon (the most malaria endemic part), i.e. Ebolowa, Yaounde, Bertoua, Douala and Kye-ossi (a city bordering Cameroon and two others African countries). Two novel mutations, hitherto unreported (in Cameroon) were found in the Pfcrt gene and variable genetic diversity was observed across the populations. High linkage disequilibrium was found between few SNPs including one of the novel mutations suggesting a synergistic work for conferring/maintaining a higher level of resistance. The inference of evolutionary pattern of this gene in Cameroon based on the genetic diversity data depicts a signature of Darwinian positive natural selection on these loci. Observation of novel mutations might traduce new variants in chloroquine/or amodiaquine resistance (proposal awaiting an experimental verification) and signal of positive selection can be the result of drug pressure exerted by misuse of chloroquine (though officially banned from the country) and/or amodiaquine. Our findings thus, provide a baseline understanding of the evolution of a malaria drug resistant gene in Cameroon and suggest a successful establishment of chloroquine-resistant strains which requires urgent attention of the malaria control program in Cameroon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax is known to be majorly endemic to Asian and Latin American countries with no or very few reports of Africans infected with this parasite. Since the human Duffy antigens act as receptors for P. vivax to invade human RBCs and Africans are generally Duffy-negative, non-endemicity of P. vivax in Africa has been attributed to this fact. However, recent reports describing P. vivax infections in Duffy-negative Africans from West and Central parts of Africa have been surfaced including a recent report on P. vivax infection in native Cameroonians. In order to know if Cameroonians living in the southern regions are also susceptible to P. vivax infection, we collected finger-prick blood samples from 485 malarial symptomatic patients in five locations and followed PCR diagnostic assays with DNA sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Out of the 201 malaria positive cases detected, 193 were pure P. falciparum, six pure P. vivax and two mixed parasite infections (P. falciparum + P. vivax). The eight P. vivax infected samples (six single + two mixed) were further subjected to DNA sequencing of the P. vivax multidrug resistance 1 (pvmdr1) and the P.vivax circumsporozoite (pvcsp) genes. Alignment of the eight Cameroonian pvmdr1 sequences with the reference sequence showed high sequence similarities, reconfirming P. vivax infection in all the eight patients. DNA sequencing of the pvcsp gene indicated all the eight P. vivax to be of VK247 type. Interestingly, DNA sequencing of a part of the human Duffy gene covering the promoter region in the eight P. vivax-infected Cameroonians to identify the T-33C mutation revealed all these patients as Duffy-negative. The results provide evidence of single P. vivax as well as mixed malaria parasite infection in native Cameroonians and add knowledge to the growing evidences of P. vivax infection in Duffy-negative Africans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroquine (CQ) and primaquine (PQ) remain the frontline drugs for radical cure of uncomplicated P. vivax malaria in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). Recent reports of decreased susceptibility of P. vivax to CQ in many parts of the GMS raise concerns. From April 2014 to September 2016, 281 patients with uncomplicated P. vivax infection attending clinics in border settlements for internally displaced people in northeast Myanmar were recruited into this study. Patients were treated with standard regimen of 3-day CQ and concurrent 14-day PQ (3.5 mg/kg total dose) as directly observed therapy, and followed for recurrent parasitemia within 28 days post-patency. Within the 28-day follow-up period, seven patients developed recurrent parasitemia, resulting in a cumulative rate of parasite recurrence of 2.6%. Five of the seven parasitemias recurred within two weeks, and two of those failed to clear within seven days, indicating high-grade resistance. Although failure of CQ/PQ treatment of P. vivax was relatively infrequent in northeast Myanmar, this study nonetheless confirms that CQ/PQ-resistant strains do circulate in this area, some of them of a highly resistant phenotype. It is thus recommended that patients who acquire vivax malaria in Myanmar be treated an artemisinin-combination therapy along with hypnozoitocidal primaquine therapy to achieve radical cure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Plasmodium vivax resistance to chloroquine (CQ) was first reported over 60 years ago. Here we analyzed sequence variations in the multidrug resistance 1 gene ( Pvmdr1 ), a putative molecular marker for P. vivax CQ resistance, in field isolates collected from three sites in Thailand during 2013–2016. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms previously implicated in reduced CQ sensitivity were found. These genetic variations encode amino acids in the two nucleotide-binding domains as well as the transmembrane domains of the protein. The high level of genetic diversity of Pvmdr1 provides insights into the evolutionary history of this gene. Specifically, there was little evidence of positive selection at amino acid F1076L in global isolates to be promoted as a possible marker for CQ resistance. Population genetic analysis clearly divided the parasites into eastern and western populations, which is consistent with their geographical separation by the central malaria-free area of Thailand. With CQ-primaquine remaining as the frontline treatment for vivax malaria in all regions of Thailand, such a population subdivision could be shaped and affected by the current drugs for P. falciparum since mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infections often occur in this region. Highlights • Low genetic diversity of Pvmdr1 gene in Thailand • Particular domains of the gene showed high genetic diversity. • The parasites are genetically subdivided into eastern and western populations. • There was action of directional selection in the evolutionary course of Pvmdr1 gene. • The mutant F1076L known as one of the probable markers for CQR was under selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax is known to be majorly endemic to Asian and Latin American countries with no or very few reports of Africans infected with this parasite. Since the human Duffy antigens act as receptors for P. vivax to invade human RBCs and Africans are generally Duffy-negative, non-endemicity of P. vivax in Africa has been attributed to this fact. However, recent reports describing P. vivax infections in Duffy-negative Africans from West and Central parts of Africa have been surfaced including a recent report on P. vivax infection in native Cameroonians. In order to know if Cameroonians living in the southern regions are also susceptible to P. vivax infection, we collected finger-prick blood samples from 485 malarial symptomatic patients in five locations and followed PCR diagnostic assays with DNA sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Out of the 201 malaria positive cases detected, 193 were pure P. falciparum, six pure P. vivax and two mixed parasite infections (P. falciparum + P. vivax). The eight P. vivax infected samples (six single + two mixed) were further subjected to DNA sequencing of the P. vivax multidrug resistance 1 (pvmdr1) and the P.vivax circumsporozoite (pvcsp) genes. Alignment of the eight Cameroonian pvmdr1 sequences with the reference sequence showed high sequence similarities, reconfirming P. vivax infection in all the eight patients. DNA sequencing of the pvcsp gene indicated all the eight P. vivax to be of VK247 type. Interestingly, DNA sequencing of a part of the human Duffy gene covering the promoter region in the eight P. vivax-infected Cameroonians to identify the T-33C mutation revealed all these patients as Duffy-negative. The results provide evidence of single P. vivax as well as mixed malaria parasite infection in native Cameroonians and add knowledge to the growing evidences of P. vivax infection in Duffy-negative Africans.