Antimalarial susceptibility of plasmodium falciparum isolates from patients presenting with uncomplicated malaria at mulago hospital.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Malaria remains the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-saharan Africa. This work was done to determine the sensitivity of plasmodium falciparum isolates to the currently used antimalarial drugs (Chloroquine diphosphate, Artemether, quinine sulphate, Amodiaquine, Lumefantrine) and drug combinations (Artemether-Lumefantrine, Artemether-Amodiaquine, Artemether-Quinine sulphate) in Uganda, particulary in Mulago hospital. METHOD: Wild strains of P. falci[parum obtained from patients attending the out patient departemtn of mulago hospital, kampala, Uganda, were screened for sensitivity to the above antimalarial drugs using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay described by Makler et al, 1993 in which parasite growth and thus density is determined by the amount of the enzyme (which reduces APAD causing it to turn blue with the NBT dye) produced by the parasites. The parasite sensitivity to the drugs was described by the IC50 i.e the drug concentration added to an in vitro culture of parasites that reduces parasite growth by 50%. RESULTS: Most of the test samples were sensitive to quinine sulphate among the sinlge drugs followed by Artemether, the least being lumefantirc. Artemether- lumefantric was among the most active among the combined drugs and Artemether- Quinine was the least active. CONCLUSION: Quinine was the most active single drug and arthemether-lumefantric was the most active among the combined drugs.