Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39794826›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2025

Low prevalence of copy number variation in pfmdr1 and pfpm2 in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from southern Angola.

Denise Duarte, Francisco Manuel, Ana Dias, Esmeralda Sacato, Elsa Taleingue, Elsa Daniel, Francisco Simão, Luis Varandas, Maria Lina Antunes, Fatima Nogueira

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Denise DuarteGlobal Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal.
Francisco ManuelFaculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Rua Principal da Camama, Distrito da Cidade Universitária CP 815, Luanda, Angola.
Ana DiasLaboratório de Microbiologia Clínica e Biologia Molecular, Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental (CHLO), Rua da Junqueira 126, 1349-019, Lisbon, Portugal.
Esmeralda SacatoHospital Central de Lubango Dr. António Agostinho Neto (HCL), Avenida Dr. António Agostinho Neto, Bairro Cdte Cowboy, Lubango, Angola.
Elsa TaleingueHospital Central de Lubango Dr. António Agostinho Neto (HCL), Avenida Dr. António Agostinho Neto, Bairro Cdte Cowboy, Lubango, Angola.
Elsa DanielHospital Central de Lubango Dr. António Agostinho Neto (HCL), Avenida Dr. António Agostinho Neto, Bairro Cdte Cowboy, Lubango, Angola.
Francisco SimãoHospital Central de Lubango Dr. António Agostinho Neto (HCL), Avenida Dr. António Agostinho Neto, Bairro Cdte Cowboy, Lubango, Angola.
Luis VarandasGlobal Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal.
Maria Lina AntunesFaculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Rua Principal da Camama, Distrito da Cidade Universitária CP 815, Luanda, Angola.
Fatima NogueiraGlobal Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal. fnogueira@ihmt.unl.pt.

Funding

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia 2022.12736. BDFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia GHTMUID/04413/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia LA-REAL - LA/P/0117/2020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalaria is the parasitic disease with the highest global morbidity and mortality. According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), there were around 249 million cases in 2022, with 3.4% occurring in Angola. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum have compromised anti-malarial efficacy and threatens malaria elimination campaigns using artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Increased copy number (CNV) of the P. falciparum gene plasmepsin 2 (pfpm2) have been reported to confer parasite tolerance to piperaquine (PPQ) and the multidrug resistance-1 (pfmdr1), resistance to mefloquine (MEF) and decreased susceptibility to lumefantrine (LUM). PPQ, MEF and LUM are ACT partner drugs. Therefore, CNV detection is a useful tool to track ACT resistance risk. The potential for future treatment failure of artemisinin-based combinations (that include PPQ, LUM and AMQ), due to parasite resistance in the region, emphasizes the need for continued molecular surveillance.

methodsOne hundred and nine clinically derived samples were collected at Hospital Central Dr. António Agostinho Neto (HCL) in Lubango, Angola. qPCR targeting the small-subunit 18S rRNA gene was used to confirm P. falciparum infection. Copy number estimates were determined using a SYBR green-based quantitative PCR assay.

resultsOverall, this study revealed a low number of resistance CNVs present in the parasite population at Lubango, for the genes pfmdr1 and pfpm2. Of the 102 samples successfully analysed for pfpm2 10 (9.8%) carried increased CNV and 9/101 (8.9%) carried increased CNV of pfmdr1.

conclusionsThis study provides, for the first time, evidence for the presence of CNVs in the pfpm2 and pfmdr1 genes in P. falciparum isolates from southern Angola.

Indexed as

Aspartic Acid EndopeptidasesATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C ProteinsDNA Copy Number VariationsMalaria, FalciparumPlasmodium falciparumProtozoan ProteinsAdolescentAdultAgedAngolaAntimalarialsChildChild, PreschoolDrug ResistanceFemaleHumansAntimalarialsAspartic Acid EndopeptidasesATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C ProteinsMdr1 protein, Plasmodium falciparumplasmepsin IIProtozoan ProteinsAngolaLubangoLumefantrinepfmdr1pfpm2PiperaquinePlasmodium falciparum

Identifiers

PMID39794826
PMCPMC11720348

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.