Análise da atividade enzimática de quitotriosidase como um marcador para a malária vivax: abordagens bioquímicas e moleculares

Abstract

Chitotriosidase was the first described chitinase and its physiologic role is not entirely clear, although many studies have been showed its participation as a component of human immune response. A 24pb duplication on exon 10 of chit1 gene results on RNAm frameshift, leading to a 87 nucleotides deletion. This alteration generates a protein with no catalytic activity at all. This condition is called chitotriosidase deficiency and presents a frequency close to 6% of homozygosis duplication in different ethnical groups. Malaria is an amazon endemic parasitosis caused by protozoaries of genus Plasmodium and causes symptoms as fever, headache and vomit, which leads to a characteristic immune response. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chitotriosidase enzyme behavior in patients suffering of malaria in Pará state and to determine the frequency of 24pb duplication on chitotriosidase gene in a representative sample. Chitotriosidase measurement was made in 100 healthy individual and in 47 malarial patients. The molecular analysis of the 24pb duplication was realized in 100 volunteers trough a protocol which included DNA extraction techniques, PCR and 2,5% agarose gel visualization to verify normal fragments (normal homozygote: 195pb) and the 24pb duplication (mutant homozygote: 219pb; heterozygote: 219pb e 195pb). This study described at first time on scientific literature the chitotriosidase plasmatic levels increasing in patients suffering of malaria vivax compared to healthy individual. No association was observed between parasitemia and plasmatic chitotriosidase levels in malarial patients. Molecular analysis showed a frequency of 72% normal homozygotes, 24% heterozygotes and 4% mutant homozygotes to 24pb duplication. Allelic frequencies were around 84% to wild allele and 16% to mutant allele. No correlation was found between genotype and biochemical phenotype (represented by chitotriosidase levels) on control group.