[Assay of sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine, amodiaquine, piperaquine, mefloquine and quinine in Yunnan province]

Abstract

Aim: To determine the sensitivity of P. falciparum to chloroquine, amodiaquine, piperaquine, mefloquine and quinine in Yunnan Province of China in 1992-1995.

Methods: Rieckmann's in vitro microtechnigue was used. The sensitivity of P. falciparum was tested to the above-mentioned antimalarials.

Results: The resistance rates of isolates of P. falciparum from the south, southeast and the west part of Yunnan to chloroquine and amodiaquine were 96.7% (29/30), 78.9% (30/38), 95.7% (22/23) and 100% (30/30), 85.3% (29/34), 8/9, respectively, with their corresponding ID50 of 125 nmol/L, 136 nmol/L and 176 nmol/L, and 52 nmol/L, 64 nmol/L and 72 nmol/L, respectively. All the isolates were sensitive to quinine and their ID50 were 480 nmol/L, 352 nmol/L, 608 nmol/L, respectively. The resistance rates of P. falciparum from the south part and southeast part of Yunnan to piperaquine were 96.4% (27/29), 72.9 (27/37), respectively, their ID50 were 320 nmol/L and 228 nmol/L; all the cases were sensitive to mefloqine, their ID50 were 68 nmol/L and 88 nmol/L.

Conclusion: P. falciparum generally produces resistance to chloroquine, amodiaquine and piperaquine in Yunnan Province; the degree of resistance to chloroquine of P. falciparum from the west part of Yunnan were higher than the P. falciparum from the southeast part of Yunnan; all the isolates were sensitive to mefloquine and quinine in this region.