Amoebic keratitis (AK) caused by Acanthamoeba is one of the most serious corneal infections. AK is frequently misdiagnosed initially as viral, bacterial, or fungal keratitis, thus ensuring treatment delays. Accordingly, the early detection of Acanthamoeba would contribute significantly to disease management and selection of an appropriate anti-amoebic therapy. Recently, the loop-mediated isothe...

Free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are causal agents of a severe sight-threatening infection of the cornea known as Acanthamoeba keratitis. Moreover, the number of reported cases worldwide is increasing year after year, mostly in contact lens wearers, although cases have also been reported in non-contact lens wearers. Interestingly, Acanthamoeba keratitis has remained significant, de...

PURPOSE To determine the role of contact lenses, corneal trauma, and Langerhans cells in the development of keratitis caused by Acanthamoeba organisms in Chinese hamsters. METHODS Various methods were used to induce corneal infections in Chinese hamsters, including application of parasite-laden contact lenses. The role of corneal epithelial defects in promoting parasite binding was examined i...

Acanthamoeba can cause fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) and eye keratitis. However, the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of these emerging diseases remain unclear. In this study, the effects of Acanthamoeba on the host cell cycle using human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) and human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) were determined. Two isolates of Acanthamoeba belongi...

To the Editor: Free-living amebae are ubiquitous protists able to endure extreme temperature and pH in diverse environments (1). In past decades, interest in them increased as causes of infections, such as keratitis (2) and granulomatous encephalitis (3). Acanthamoeba spp. can harbor pathogenic microorganisms as endosymbionts, such as bacteria (e.g., Legionella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and...

background: acanthamoeba keratitis (ak) is potentially a sight-threatening infection and its treatment is challenging. this is mainly due to presence of resistant cyst form. indeed, cysts are highly resistant to current available drugs. chemical drugs are toxic to human keratocytes. it should also be mentioned that most available anti- acanthamoeba drugs are poorly cysticidal, in iran and world...

Free-living amebas are widely distributed in soil and water, particularly members of the genera Acanthamoeba and NAEGLERIA: Since the early 1960s, they have been recognized as opportunistic human pathogens, capable of causing infections of the central nervous system (CNS) in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts. Naegleria is the causal agent of a fulminant CNS condition, primary ame...

Members of the genus Acanthamoeba are usually free-living amoebae that are found in a variety of ecological niches including soil, fresh and brackish water, dust in the air, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning filters, swimming pools and hot tubs. Occasionally they are also known to cause central nervous system infections in humans and animals. We isolated into culture an amoeba from the...

Acanthamoeba are abundant in a wide range of environments, and some species are responsible for cutaneous infections, keratitis, and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). The conventional detection and isolation of amoeba from clinical and environmental samples involves sampling and culture on non-nutrient Ágar medium. Although efficient, this system requires several transfers in order to e...