Malaria control in India: A national perspective in a regional and global fight to eliminate malaria.

Since the declaration of the vision of malaria eradication in 2007, the overall burden of malaria has been reduced substantially in many countries in the endemic world. This progress has, however, recently slowed worldwide and even an increase of morbidity and mortality has been observed in some regions. That reality has led to reflection on the strategy for malaria elimination, noting that focusing only on low transmission sites has competed with the efforts in countries that still have foci with high malaria burdens. This opinion piece outlines the collaboration of the ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR-NIMR) and other partner Institutions in India with the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN), one part of a global effort to manage the spread of Plasmodium falciparum parasites associated with antimalarial resistance.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Lumefantrine in Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women With Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Uganda.

Pregnancy alters the pharmacokinetic properties of many antimalarial compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties of lumefantrine in pregnant and nonpregnant women with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Uganda after a standard fixed oral artemether-lumefantrine treatment. Dense venous (n = 26) and sparse capillary (n = 90) lumefantrine samples were drawn from pregnant patients. A total of 17 nonpregnant women contributed with dense venous lumefantrine samples. Lumefantrine pharmacokinetics was best described by a flexible absorption model with multiphasic disposition. Pregnancy and body temperature had a significant impact on the pharmacokinetic properties of lumefantrine. Simulations from the final model indicated 27% lower day 7 concentrations in pregnant women compared with nonpregnant women and a decreased median time of 0.92 and 0.42 days above previously defined critical concentration cutoff values (280 and 175 ng/ml, respectively). The standard artemether-lumefantrine dose regimen in P. falciparum malaria may need reevaluation in nonimmune pregnant women.CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e83; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.59; advance online publication 13 November 2013.

Prevalence of hepatitis C genotypes in Indian patients and their clinical significance.

AIM: To study the significance of hepatitis C genotypes in relation to severity of liver disease, progression of liver disease and response to treatment. METHODS: Sixty one consecutive patients with hepatitis C infection were evaluated with detailed history, clinical examination, biochemical, imaging and virological profile, liver histology whenever feasible. Hepatitis C infection was confirmed with AntiHCV third generation ELISA assay. HCVRNA by PCR and HCV genotyping by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Demographic profile of patients was as M:F 36:25, mean age 46.3 +/- 13.6 years (range 10 to 70 years). Clinical presentations of these patients were as cirrhosis 23, cirrhosis with HCC 3, chronic hepatitis 22, acute hepatitis 4, asymptomatic with normal enzymes nine. Distribution of genotypes was as follows; 13/61 (21%) genotype I, 15/61 (25%) genotypes II and 33/61 (54%) genotype III. Cirrhosis was significantly common in genotype I (77%) when compared to genotype II and III (33%); p < 0.001. Mean time of presenting as cirrhosis was much faster in genotype I (8.7 +/- 6.7 years) as compared to other genotypes (type II 12.8 +/- 4.2 years and genotype III 15.8 +/- 6.9 years). Genotype distribution in CRF and renal transplant patient was genotype I 8/23 (35%), genotype II 5/23 (22%) and genotype III 10/23 (43%). Fourteen patients were treated with interferon and ribavarine combination for one year. Sustained response seen in 8/14 (57%). All these patients had genotype non 1. All the four patients with Genotype I were non-responders. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis C genotype III is common in India, Genotype I runs a more severe course, faster progression and non responders to interferon as compared with genotype II and III.