Prevalence of Mutant Plasmodium falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transport Gene (PFCRT) in Human Immune Deficiency Virus Patients Attending University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo-Nigeria

In this study, the prevalence of mutant Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant transport gene in HIV positive patients attending University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo was evaluated. The risk factors associated with HIV was evaluated by testing for the significant difference between Genders, Ages, CD4 count level in association with malaria parasite. Blood samples were collected from 67 participants attending the HIV adult Clinic, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo. Of the 67 cases, 35 were HIV +ve adult patients while 32 were HIV –ve (Controls). Twenty-one percent of subjects admitted that they took Anti-malaria drugs every three months. Upon microscopic examination, 2(5.7%) of falciparum malaria was detected, while Nested PCR Assay detected 3(8.7%) falciparum malaria in the DNA sample extracts of HIV patients. All 32 HIV negative subjects had no falciparum malaria. Five HIV positive patients were infected with falciparum malaria; the prevalence rate of Pfcrt in HIV patients was 14.2%. There was no significant difference of malaria parasite infection by gender (P = 0.88), age group (P = 0.17), and CD4+ count (O.R:1.0, P = 0.81). There is an urgent need to administer effective anti-malaria drug to HIV patients infected with falciparum malaria.