The free living amoeba, Acanthamoeba spp are found and distributed in a wide variety of environmental sources including air, water, soil dust, vegetables as well as the skin, cornea, lung and brain of human (1). Isolation of Acanthamoeba cyst from environmental sources such as soil, fresh surface water and stagnant water have been showed that this environmental sources have potential importance...

lesions in 1 week. Noncompliance with oral medications during October 1995 was associated with the appearance of new skin lesions. A new multidrug regimen was started in December 1995 with the combination of itraconazole (400 mg/d orally) and pentamidine (150 mg/d for 5 days and then 300 mg/d for 6 days intramuscularly). No improvement was observed. The initial therapeutic regimen (5fluorocytos...

PURPOSE A recent increase in Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) cases has been associated with Complete MoisturePlus, although many cases used other solutions. Complete MoisturePlus contains taurine and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, unlike other multipurpose solutions (MPSs). The purpose of this study is to (1) determine contact lens solution efficacy against recent clinical and tap water Acanthamoeb...

PURPOSE The incidence of acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in the UK is some 15 times that in the United States and seven times that in Holland. To investigate reasons for this higher frequency, a study of the role of domestic tap water as a potential source of AK was undertaken. METHODS Tap outlets from the homes of 27 patients with culture-proven AK were sampled and cultured for free-living amoeb...

The ability of cyst-forming protists such as Acanthamoeba to escape death by transforming into a cyst form, that is resistant to harsh physiological, environmental and pharmacological conditions, has continued to pose a serious challenge to human and animal health. A complete understanding of the fundamental principles of genome evolution and biochemical pathways of cellular differentiation off...

The phenothiazine compounds trifluoperazine dihydrochloride and chlorpromazine hydrochloride have in vitro activity against the pathogenic free-living amoebae Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, and Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Drug concentrations of 10 microM were amoebastatic; concentrations of 50 microM were either amoebastatic or amoebicidal. Concentrations of 100 microM were generally ...

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a sight-threating infection of the cornea that mostly affects contact lens wearers. Until now, AK treatment remains very difficult due to the existence of a highly resistant cyst stage in the life cycle of Acanthamoeba which is extremely resistant to most of the available anti-amoebic compounds. Moreover, current treatment of AK is usually based in the combination...