Previous genetic studies demonstrated that survival and proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum parasites is dependent on salvage of essential purines from the host. Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most lethal form of human malaria lacks the enzymes required for de novo synthesis of purines. Analysis of the hypothetical nucleoside/nucleobase transporter protein, the gene product of PfNT3 (PF14_0662) gene in P. falciparum parasites was carried out by localisation, in view of a novel chemotherapeutic target. Immunoblotting, immunofluorescent and immunoelectron microscopic localization of PfNT3 was demonstrated using polyclonal antiserum in in vitro cultured Plasmodium falciparum parasites, propagated in human red blood cells. PfNT3 protein, the translated product of PfNT3 gene was detected in intraerythrocytic ring, trophozoite, and schizont stages. PfNT3 was localized primarily to the PPM (Parasite Plasma Membrane). The endogenous PfNT3 putative nucleoside transporter with the predominant location to the parasite plasma membrane may serve not only as routes for targeting of purine analogs/cytotoxic agents into the intracellular parasite but may also serve as drug targets. Being genome encoded the vital transporter protein can be prevented from expression by silencing of the gene, validating it to be a novel drug target.
Plasmodium falciparum

In 2003, 2 small swidden field malaria outbreaks were identified in Tuong Duong district of Nghe An province. Although different development of the first time, malaria outbreaks developed in swiddenfield, then transmissed into villages. A lots of patients have confirmed to have malaria. One death case was caused by the late hospital admission. The number of working and overnight people on the swiddenfields increased at the hot spot time as this was the harvesting time and the school children had summer holiday and joined their parents’ work here (29.1 – 48.9% of household and 27.2-28.4% of population in the hamlets). They did not use mosquito nets. The infection rate of malaria among the swiddenfield people was 13.5 – 60.5% and 7.4 – 42.2%, respectively. The mass blood screen showed the presence of both P.falciparum and P.vivax (P.falciparum in Ang village and both P.falciparum and P.vivax in Phong village). A high malaria infected rate in 2 outbreaks showed a limited diagnosis and treatment’s quality of local health. Cold parasites were found to be high, with P.falciparum and combined form
Malaria ; epidemiology ; Malaria, Falciparum

No abstract available.
Malaria, Cerebral* ; Plasmodium falciparum*

Objective and methods: 83 patients infected with P.vivax malaria were divided randomly into two groups. 51 patients were treated with CV8 and 32 patients were treated with Chlo + Pri. Results: The mean time for disolving fever was 20.1 hours for CV8 group and 21.0 hours for Chlo + Pri group, the difference has no statistic significance with P>0.05. The mean parasite clearance time was 30.3 hours and 31.0 hours for CV8 and Chlo + Pri groups. respectively, the difference has no statistic significance with P>0.05. The relapse parasite rate was 3.9 % in CV8 group, highter than that in Chlo + Pri group (3.1%) of , the difference has no statistic significance with P>0.05. Conclusion: CV8 can be used for P. vivax malaria patients in the hyper-epidemic remote areas.
Malaria ; Primaquine ; Malaria ; Falciparum

224 patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were randomly devided into two groups receiving CV8 treatment (123 patients) and artesunate+primaquine (As+Pri) (101 patients). Results: The lately recurrence rate of CV8 treatment was 3.3% and of As+Pri was 17.8%, the difference had statistic significance (p<0.05). Mean time for fever clearance of CV8 was 22.5 hours, was the same as AS+Pri (21.8 hours). The inhibitory gametocidel effect on CV8 on P.falciparum has been seen and it help elimination of dissermination. The side effects such as nausea (13.8%), vomitting (4.9%) in CV8 treated groups were the same in AS+Pri groups. These effects were often self-limited. There were no hemoglobinuria case.
Malaria, Primaquine, Malaria, Falciparum

65 patients with uncomplicated Pl.falciparum malaria were monitored during 28 days after 5 -day -course use of artemisinine (year 1998) and 69 patients after 7 day course (year 2001). The mean fever cut time lengthened for 1,5 days in 1998 and 1,8 days in 2001.The mean parasite cut time had lengthened for 1,8 days in1998 and 2,3 days in 2001. The rate of reappearance of parasite accounted for 36,9% within 28 days follow up with 5 -day -course procedure and 7,3 % with 7 days procedure. The rate of repeated infestion was remarkable: 10/21 patients (year1998) and 3/5 (year 2001) had got recurrence. No change of EC50 was reported between the years 1998 and 2001, but an increase by 2 and 4 folds of EC90 and EC99 was reported.EC50,90 and 99% of chloroquine, mefloquine and quinine in the year 2001 decreased by 2 folds vs 1998
malaria ; malaria, falciparum ; Artemisinins ;

The evaluation of test Paracheck P.f for malaria fast diagnosis was conducted at three levels (provincial hospital, district hospital and commune health stations) in Ninh Thuan province between July 2002 and March 2003. Results showed that: the positive rate of Paracheck-Pf was 19.5% against the positive slide rate (PSR) of P.faciparum was 7.7% at provincial hospital level. The positive rate of Paracheck-Pf was 19.2% against the PSR of P.falciparum was 14.6% by microscopy at district hospital level. The positive rate of Parachec-Pf was 13.6% against the PSR of P.falciparum by microscopy was 14.2% at commune health stations. Paracheck-Pf was found to have the sensitivity of 93.8% and the specificity of 86.5% at the provincial hospital, 92.8% and 94.1%, respectively at the district hospital, and 90.6% and 99.7%, respectively at commune health stations
malaria ; diagnosis ; malaria, falciparum

The study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the artesunate in 7-day treatment course on uncomplicated P.falciparum malaria from August to December 2003, in the Phuoc Hoa and Phuoc Thang communes, Bac Ai district, Ninh Thuan province. The clinical trials were implemented in conformity with the WHO Guidelines 2001. Artesunate with total dose of 16 mg/kg body weight was used for 7days in 159 patients with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. The oral treatment of patients was supervised strictly; the clinical assessment and parasite density were followed up during 28 days after treatment. The number of patients completing 28-day follow-up was 131 cases. The trial results showed that the success rate of treatment was 122/131 (accounting for 93.1%) cases, the mean fever clearance time (mean +/- SD) was 1.2:+/- 0.4 days, the mean parasite clearance time was 1.8+/- 0.7 days and the rate of late treatment failure was 9/131 cases (6.9%)
Malaria ; Malaria, ; Falciparum ; Artemisinins

No abstract available.
Megakaryocytes ; Plasmodium ; Plasmodium falciparum

The clinical studies were carried-out in the commune Health Center of Quang Tri and Ninh Thuan provinces from June to December, 2003. Recrudescence and re-infection analysises by PCR method were performed at NIMPE`s laboratory. The efficacy of Erapas was evaluated for uncomplicated P.falciparum malaria with 5-day regimens (4mg/kg on the first day, followed by 2mg/kg once a day for 4 days). 109 patients were gathered in a group of Erapas treatment. Of which, 102 patients were followed-up to Day 28. Blood sample PCR analysises of 2 patients having parasite re-appearance at day 21 showed that both 2 cases were P.falciparum re-infection. The median (range) fever clearance time was 1.3 (1-2) day(s). The median (range) parasite clearance time was 2.5 (1-3) day(s). The research results showed that the cure rate by the 28¬th day was 100%. Erapas has high effectiveness for treament of uncomplicates faciparum malaria with high tolerance
malaria ; Malaria, Falciparum ; Therapeutics ; Artemisinins