Quinacrine Skin Discoloration Is Associated with Fluorescence of `Y' Chromosome in Male Cells and Malarial Parasites in Malaria

Abstract

Sokol et al reported yellow discoloration in a child treated with quinacrine for giardiasis. This, as the authors suggest, is a well known harmless side effect of quinacrine. During work with quinacrine fluorescence of the "Y" chromosome, we observed that malarial parasites within red cells of blood smears also fluoresced brightly. At that time we examined a smear of a Nigerian adult male with malaria, who had yellow discoloration due to quinacrine therapy. Not only did we demonstrate quinacrine fluorescence of "Y" chromosomes in white cells of his unstained blood smear but fluorescent malarial parasites were still present in some red cells.