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Publication Open Access Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine versus chloroquine to treat vivax malaria in Afghanistan: an open randomized,non-inferiority, trial(2010-04) Awab, Ghulam Rahim; Sasithon Pukrittayakamee; ศศิธร ผู้กฤตยาคามี; Mallika Imwong; มัลลิกา อิ่มวงศ์; Dondorp, Arjen M.; Woodrow, Charles J.; Lee, Sue Jean; Day, Nicholas P.J.; Pratap Singhasivanon; ประตาป สิงหศิวานนท์; White, Nicholas J.; Kaker, Faizullah; White, Nicholas J.; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Mediicnebe administered, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine provides additional benefit in terms of post-treatment prophylaxis, reducing the incidence of recurrence from 4-8 weeks after treatment.Publication Open Access Coma in fatal adult human malaria is not caused by cerebral oedema(2011-09-17) Medana, Isabelle M.; Day, Nicholas P.J.; Navakanit Sachanonta; นวขนิษฐ์ สัจจานนท์; Mai, Nguyen T.H.; Dondorp, Arjen M.; Emsri Pongponratn; เอี่ยมศรี พงศ์พนรัตน์; Hien, Tran T.; White, Nicholas J.; Turner, Gareth D.H.; Turner, Gareth D.H.; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit.; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Department of Tropical Pathology.BACKGROUND: The role of brain oedema in the pathophysiology of cerebral malaria is controversial. Coma associated with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria is multifactorial, but associated with histological evidence of parasitized erythrocyte sequestration and resultant microvascular congestion in cerebral vessels. To determine whether these changes cause breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and resultant perivascular or parenchymal cerebral oedema, histology, immunohistochemistry and image analysis were used to define the prevalence of histological patterns of oedema and the expression of specific molecular pathways involved in water balance in the brain in adults with fatal falciparum malaria. METHODS: The brains of 20 adult Vietnamese patients who died of severe malaria were examined for evidence of disrupted vascular integrity. Immunohistochemistry and image analysis was performed on brainstem sections for activation of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 and expression of the aquaporin 4 (AQP4) water channel protein. Fibrinogen immunostaining was assessed as evidence of blood-brain barrier leakage and perivascular oedema formation. Correlations were performed with clinical, biochemical and neuropathological parameters of severe malaria infection. RESULTS: The presence of oedema, plasma protein leakage and evidence of VEGF signalling were heterogeneous in fatal falciparum malaria and did not correlate with pre-mortem coma. Differences in vascular integrity were observed between brain regions with the greatest prevalence of disruption in the brainstem, compared to the cortex or midbrain. There was a statistically non-significant trend towards higher AQP4 staining in the brainstem of cases that presented with coma (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Histological evidence of cerebral oedema or immunohistochemical evidence of localised loss of vascular integrity did not correlate with the occurrence of pre-mortem coma in adults with fatal falciparum malaria. Enhanced expression of AQP4 water channels in the brainstem may, therefore, reflect a mix of both neuropathological or attempted neuroprotective responses to oedema formation.Publication Open Access Population pharmacokinetics of Artemether and dihydroartemisinin in pregnant women with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Uganda.(2012-08-22) Tarning, Joel; Kloprogge, Frank; Piola, Patrice; Dhorda, Mehul; Muwanga, Sulaiman; Turyakira, Eleanor; Nitra Nuengchamnong; นิทรา เนื่องจำนงค์; Nosten, François; Day, Nicholas P.J.; White, Nicholas J.; Guerin, Philippe J.; Lindegardh, Niklas; Tarning, Joel; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit.BACKGROUND: Malaria in pregnancy increases the risk of maternal anemia, abortion and low birth weight. Approximately 85.3 million pregnancies occur annually in areas with Plasmodium falciparum transmission. Pregnancy has been reported to alter the pharmacokinetic properties of many anti-malarial drugs. Reduced drug exposure increases the risk of treatment failure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the population pharmacokinetic properties of artemether and its active metabolite dihydroartemisinin in pregnant women with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Uganda. METHODS: Twenty-one women with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy received the fixed oral combination of 80 mg artemether and 480 mg lumefantrine twice daily for three days. Artemether and dihydroartemisinin plasma concentrations after the last dose administration were quantified using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass-spectroscopy. A simultaneous drug-metabolite population pharmacokinetic model for artemether and dihydroartemisinin was developed taking into account different disposition, absorption, error and covariate models. A separate modeling approach and a non-compartmental analysis (NCA) were also performed to enable a comparison with literature values and different modeling strategies. RESULTS: The treatment was well tolerated and there were no cases of recurrent malaria. A flexible absorption model with sequential zero-order and transit-compartment absorption followed by a simultaneous one-compartment disposition model for both artemether and dihydroartemisinin provided the best fit to the data. Artemether and dihydroartemisinin exposure was lower than that reported in non-pregnant populations. An approximately four-fold higher apparent volume of distribution for dihydroartemisinin was obtained by non-compartmental analysis and separate modeling compared to that from simultaneous modeling of the drug and metabolite. This highlights a potential pitfall when analyzing drug/metabolite data with traditional approaches. CONCLUSION: The population pharmacokinetic properties of artemether and dihydroartemisinin, in pregnant women with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Uganda, were described satisfactorily by a simultaneous drug-metabolite model without covariates. Concentrations of artemether and its metabolite dihydroartemisinin were relatively low in pregnancy compared to literature data. However, this should be interpreted with caution considered the limited literature available. Further studies in larger series are urgently needed for this vulnerable group.