Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 7 4 2015 10 13 1 7 EN A. Miahipour Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. H. Keshavarz Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. A. Heidari Department of Pathobiology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. A. Raeisi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. M. Rezaeian Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. S. Rezaie Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 13 2015 10 13 Background: The main goal of present study was to detect polymorphism in MSP-1 gene which is a major blood stage candidate for vaccine in Plasmodium vivax by Single Strand Conformational Poly- morphism-Polymerase Chain Reaction (SSCP-PCR). Methods: During 2008 to 2010 fifty samples were collected from Iranian patients with P. vivax in Hormozgan Province, southern Iran. All of the samples were detected by microscopical examination. Amplification of MSP-1 gene was done by PCR after DNA extraction. Single strand DNAs due to using in SSCP, was electrophoresed on polyacrylamid- Bisacrylamid gel then banding patterns were revealed by silver-staining method. Sequencing as a typing method was performed for some isolates. Results: All of the 50 isolates were positive microscopically. Totally 12 (24%) isolates showed 440 bp and 38 (76%) showed 500 bp in PCR assay. SSCP analysis revealed four banding patterns. Pattern I  (10/50), Pattern II (12/50), Pattern III (27/50), and Pattern IV (1/50). The results sequencing analysis of the MSP-1 gene in 19 isolates revealed diversity in nucleotides and amino acid in Iranian P. vivax isolates. Conclusion: Our study confirms that the SSCP-PCR is a rapid method for detecting polymorphism in MSP-1 gene in P. vivax. The presence of different haplotypes in MSP-1 gene shows that several P. vivax strains exist in malaria endemic areas of Iran.   https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/277 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/277/260