PCR-RFLP analysis of the DHPS gene for the study of resistance of Pneumocystis carinii to sulpha drugs in patients with co-infection PCP/HIV

摘要

Sulpha drugs, especially the combination trimethoprim/sulfamethozaxole (cotrimoxazole), are considered to be the key agents in treatment and prophylaxis ofPneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), which remains one of the most frequent opportunistic infections in AIDS and other immunodeficient patients. The major target for cotrimoxazolc is thc cnzymc dihydroptcroatc synthasc (DHPS) a component of the folic acid biosynthcsis pathway. Rcccntly the existence of scvcral polymorpMsms in thc DHPS gene of human P. carinii in patients has been reported from sevcral regions and these mutations have been related to prophylaxis and treatment failure [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the mutations described for codons 55 and 57 of the human P. carinii DHPS gene, in a Portuguese AIDS population.