标题：Epidemiologia molecolare della malaria
d’importazione in Italia: l’impiego di marcatori
genetici e di saggi di sensibilità in vitro nello
studio della clorochino-resistenza in
Plasmodium falciparum
摘要：(Molecular epidemiology of imported malaria in Italy: the use of genetic markers and in vitro sensitivity
test in a study of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum). The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum
drug-resistance, especially chloroquine resistance, represents one of the main obstacles to the control
of malaria. Several studies have shown that in P. falciparum the mechanism of chloroquine resistance is linked
to specific point mutations in the pfcrt gene of the parasite. In the present study we have analyzed 120 Italian
imported malaria cases to evaluate the prevalence of 76T and 220S mutantions in the pfcrt gene. Moreover, the
correlation between the presence of pfcrt point mutations and in vitro chloroquine resistance has been evaluated
on 25 plasmodial isolates. The results showed a high prevalence of the pfcrt point mutations in isolates
analyzed and a significant association between point mutations and in vitro chloroquine resistance. Molecular
screening on imported malaria cases can be a useful tool to be employed in surveillance activity and also in
monitoring the development and spread of drug resistance in endemic areas
