| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This work was carried out to assess the patterns and prevalence of resistance to chloroquine (CQ) and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in Iran.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The prevalence of <it>pfcrt </it>K76T, <it>pfmdr1 </it>N86Y, <it>pfdhfr </it>N51I, C59R, S108N/T and I164L and codons S436F/A, A437G, K540E, A581E, and A613S/T in <it>pfdhps </it>genes were genotyped by PCR/RFLP methods in 206 <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>isolates from Chabahar and Sarbaz districts in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran, during 2003–2005.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All <it>P. falciparum </it>isolates carried the 108N, while 98.5% parasite isolates carried the 59R mutation. 98.5% of patients carried both 108N and 59R. The prevalence of <it>pfdhps </it>437G mutation was 17% (Chabahar) and 33% (Sarbaz) isolates. 20.4% of samples presented the <it>pfdhfr </it>108N, 59R with <it>pfdhps </it>437G mutations. The frequency of allele <it>pfcrt </it>76T was 98%, while 41.4% (Chabahar) and 27.7% (Sarbaz) isolates carried <it>pfmdr1 </it>86Y allele. Eight distinct haplotypes were identified in all 206 samples, while the most prevalent haplotype was <b>T</b><sub>76/</sub>N<sub>86/</sub>N<sub>51</sub><b>R</b><sub>59</sub><b>N</b><sub>108/</sub>A<sub>437 </sub>among both study areas.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Finding the fixed level of CQ resistance polymorphisms (<it>pfcrt </it>76T) suggests that CQ must be withdrawn from the current treatment strategy in Iran, while SP may remain the treatment of choice for uncomplicated malaria.</p>
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