MEASURING ALLELIC HETEROGENEITY IN PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM BY A HETERODUPLEX TRACKING ASSAY

WARUNEE NGRENNGARMLERT Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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JESSE J. KWIEK Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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DEBORAH D. KAMWENDO Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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KIMBERLY RITOLA Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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RONALD SWANSTROM Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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CHANSUDA WONGSRICHANALAI Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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R. SCOTT MILLER Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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WANIDA ITTARAT Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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STEVEN R. MESHNICK Department of Clinical Microscopy, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Departments of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Immunology and Medicine, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand

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We developed a novel Plasmodium falciparum genotyping strategy based on the heteroduplex tracking assay (HTA) method commonly used to genotype viruses. Because it can detect both sequence and size polymorphisms, we hypothesized that HTA is more sensitive than current methods. To test this hypothesis, we compared the ability of HTA and a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect genetic diversity in 17 Thai samples. The HTA detected more MSP1 sequence variants in eight isolates (47%), less sequence variants in three isolates (18%), and an equal number of sequence variants in six isolates (35%), suggesting that HTA is equal to or more sensitive than the nested PCR. This study is a proof of concept that HTA is a sensitive allelic discrimination method able to determine genetic diversity in P. falciparum and warrants its use in studies of antimalarial drug efficacy.

Author Notes

Reprint requests: Steven R. Meshnick, Department of Epidemiology, CB# 7435, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.
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