Genetic diversity of the parasite population (Fst).

193 genotypes were scored at 9 loci, 29 genotypes at 7 loci and 13 genotypes at 6 loci. Reconstruction of haplotypes was carried out for 235 genotypes (15, 77 and 143 at Fann, HPD and MM patients respectively) A) Mean number of distinct alleles observed per locus. Unbiased expected heterozygosity (He) per locus was calculated using the unbiased estimator of Nei corrected for small sample sizes, (SM) severe malaria  =  HM+CM. The total number of alleles per locus is similar in SM and MM isolates (FSTAT, A = 13.7±4.3 for HPD and 11.9±4.4 for dispensary, Fann A = 5.44±1.4). Parasite populations were genetically different for different clinical groups: Fst comparison CM (Fann)−MM = 0.160, Fst CM(HPD)-MM = 0.163, Fst Fann-HPD = 0.157 (p<0.017 for all). B) Canonical Correspondence Analysis of genotypes (CANOCO software) obtained from MM (n = 129 genotypes) and SM (HPD, n = 59 genotypes) at 9 microsatellite loci. The significance of the canonical axes was tested with 1000 Monte Carlo permutations with a 95% confidence interval of the centroid of each population (centroids of populations are surrounded by 95% confidence intervals: o and hashed trait ellipse =  MM; x and plain ellipse  =  HPD-recruited SM). CCA shows a larger genotypic diversity in SM isolates than in MM (Monte-Carlo, p-value = 0.002).