Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 10 4 2015 12 14 505 516 EN Daniel GETACHER FELEKE Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mehdi NATEGHPOUR Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran, Tehran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran Afsaneh MOTEVALLI HAGHI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Homa HAJJARAN Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Leila FARIVAR Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mehdi MOHEBALI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, International Campus, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Reza RAOOFIAN Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran Iran 2015 12 14 2015 12 14 Background: Parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) is extensively employed as malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Moreover, it is a well-known drug target candidate. However, the genetic diversity of this gene might influence perfor­mance of RDT kits and its drug target candidacy. This study aimed to determine polymorphism of pLDH gene from Iranian isolates of P. vivax and P. falciparum. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood of microscopically confirmed P. vivax and P. falciparum infected patients. pLDH gene of P. falciparum and P. vivax was amplified using conventional PCR from 43 symptomatic malaria patients from Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Southeast Iran from 2012 to 2013. Results: Sequence analysis of 15 P. vivax LDH showed fourteen had 100% identity with P. vivax Sal-1 and Belem strains. Two nucleotide substitutions were detected with only one resulted in amino acid change. Analysis of P. falciparum LDH sequences showed six of the seven sequences had 100% homology with P. falciparum 3D7 and Mzr-1. Moreover, PfLDH displayed three nucleotide changes that resulted in changing only one amino acid. PvLDH and PfLDH showed 75%-76% nucleotide and 90.4%-90.76% amino acid homology. Conclusion: pLDH gene from Iranian P. falciparum and P. vivax isolates displayed 98.8-100% homology with 1-3 nucleotide substitutions. This indicated this gene was relatively conserved. Additional studies can be done weather this genetic variation can influence the performance of pLDH based RDTs or not. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/648 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/648/529