AIMS Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural effectors of the innate immune response. Much work has been done to study their response and effects on bacterial and viral infection. Little if any information is available in relation to protozoal infections. The aim of the study was to comprehensively study the gene expression of the ocular AMPs in human corneal limbal epithelial cells stimulate...

BACKGROUND The free-living amoebae Acanthamoeba spp., have been recognized as etiologic agents of amoebic encephalitis, keratitis, otitis, lung lesions and other skin infections mainly in immuno-compromised individuals. In this study, morpho-physiological and biochemical characterization of Acanthamoeba strains isolated from the Egyptian aquatic environment were surveyed. METHODS Some Acantha...

Entamoeba histolytica is an enteric protozoan that exclusively infects human beings. This parasite requires iron for its metabolic functions. Lactoferrin is a mammalian glycoprotein that chelates extracellular iron on mucosal surfaces, including the surface of the large intestine, where E. histolytica initiates infection. This work examined the interaction in vitro of E. histolytica trophozoite...

Metronidazole and niridazole combined with dehydroemetine in treatment of children with amoebic liver abscess. Metronidazole combined with dehydroemetine cured 13 of 15 children with amoebic liver abscess. An alternative combination of niridazole with dehydroemetine produced cure in 13 of 14 children. No relapses were observed. Electrocardiographic changes were noted in 2 of the first group and...

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...

introduction: determination of the efficacy of crude entamoeba histolytica extract and its fractions (fi,fii & fiii) in antiamoebic antibody detection by elisa. material and methods: entamoeba histolytica nih:200 was cultured axenically and different fractionsof its crude amoebic extract, i.e. fi, fii & fiii, were obtained by column chromatography. efficacy of crudeand fractioned antigens for a...

PURPOSE The goals of the study were the following: 1) to show the epidemiology of microbial keratitis (MK) in the southeast Brazil, 2) to compare the epidemiological differences between fungal (FK) and bacterial keratitis (BK), and 3) to evaluate the frequency which ophthalmologists accurately differentiate bacterial keratitis from fungal keratitis based on clinical diagnosis. METHODS A retro...

Introduction Contact lens wearing has been increased globally during recent decades, which is one of the main risk factors for developing microbial keratitis. Microbial keratitis a severe and dangerous condition that causes cornea inflammation. It can lead to corneal scarring perforation or even endophthalmitis visual loss if it remains untreated. Among bacterial, fungal, protozoal, viral agent...

Fulminant necrotising amoebic colitis is a complication of untreated amoebiasis. This is seen in mainly low-income countries. It has a high mortality rate and is difficult to diagnose. We present an extremely rare case of fulminant necrotising amoebic colitis that caused diagnostic confusion in mimicking an acute abdomen, presumably caused by a perforated duodenal ulcer.

A 48 year old man with amoebic pericarditis did not improve after pericardiocentesis. Facilities for echocardiography and haemodynamic studies were not available. Cardiac compression was suspected and at emergency pericardiectomy subacute effusive constrictive amoebic pericarditis was found. The patient recovered. This is believed to be the first report of a case of subacute effusive constricti...