African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12487

Full Length Research Paper

Characterization of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense stocks isolated from humans by RAPD fingerprinting in Côte d’Ivoire: another evidence for multiple infections

Bruno Oury1, Vincent Jamonneau2, Michel Tibayrenc1 and Philippe Truc3*
1Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Research Unit 165 "Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses" UMR CNRS/IRD 2724, BP 64501 34394 Montpellier cedex 5, France. 2Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Research Unit 35 Trypanosomoses Africaines, Institut Pierre Richet, BP 1500, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire. 3Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, IRD, Research Unit 35 BP 1857, Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), Department of Research and Control of Human African Trypanosomiasis, BP 288, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 03 December 2003
  •  Published: 31 January 2004

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense was isolated twice from each of 23 patients in Côte d’Ivoire. Genetic characterization using RAPD (Random Primed Amplified Polymorphic DNA) showed additional variability within a given isoenzyme profile (zymodeme), confirming that this fingerprinting method has a higher discriminative power (faster molecular clock) than isoenzymes. RAPD confirmed also the evidence of multiple infections by different genotypes in the same patient despite a low genetic variability among Trypanosoma brucei gambiense stocks. The involvement of this phenomenon in treatment failure is discussed.

 

Key words: Human African Trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, RAPD, multiple infections.