Acanthamoeba keratitis is a sight-threatening corneal infection. In a recent study, the saccharide mannose has been shown to inhibit the binding of Acanthamoeba organisms to the epithelium of the cornea (L. D. Morton, G. L. McLaughlin, and H. E. Whiteley, Infect. Immun. 59:3819-3822, 1991). In an attempt to determine the molecular mechanism by which acanthamoebae adhere to the surface of the co...

Tests for potentially pathogenic amoebae were carried out in order to determine the presence of free-living amoebae of genus Acanthamoeba in soil and beach sand sources related to human environments in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Acanthamoeba identification was based on the morphology of cyst and trophozoite forms and PCR amplification with a genus specific primer pair. The pathogenical po...

Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic protist pathogen that is ubiquitously distributed in the environment. It is known to produce a sight-threatening, extremely painful keratitis and granulomatous encephalitis [1-4]. Acanthamoeba encephalitis is a fatal brain infection with a case fatality of more than 90%, despite advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. This is partly due to ou...

We have used a fluorescence assay to measure the binding of Acanthamoeba profilin to monomeric Acanthamoeba and rabbit skeletal muscle actin labeled on cysteine-374 with pyrene iodoacetamide. The wavelengths of the pyrene excitation and emission maxima are constant at 346 and 386 nm, but the fluorescence is enhanced up to 50% by profilin. The higher fluorescence is largely due to higher absorba...

The in vitro effects of artesunate, the antimalarial agent, and metronidazole against Acanthamoeba spp were studied. Acanthamoeba Group II and Acanthamoeba polyphaga-like were isolated from natural water courses in Buri Ram Province, northeastern Thailand. The trophozoites were axenically cultured in PPYG medium and treated with artesunate in a concentration of 5-700 microg/ml. Artesunate showe...

purpose: to determine the sensitivity and specificity of confocal scan in the diagnosis of fungal and acanthamoeba keratitis based on the results of corneal and/or contact lens case smear and culture. method: confocal scan and corneal and/or contact lens case smear and culture were performed in all patients with a clinical diagnosis of infectious keratitis who were referred to labbafinejad medi...

   Background: Pulmonary disorders caused by parasites are common in many tropical regions. Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic parasite, and most of its dangerous complications are seen in patients with immune deficiencies. Considering the high dissemination of Acanthamoeba parasite in water, soil, and fine airborne dust in Iran, this research was performed to study the rate of pulmonary secreti...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the occurrence of free-living amoebas of the genera Acanthamoeba and Naegleria is dust samples colleted in two hospitals. METHODS One-hundred and thirty-two dust samples were collected in two hospitals in Brazil. Hospital collection sites were the following: intensive care unit, operation rooms, nursery, kitchen, emergency and infectious diseases isolation room. The isol...

We report a case of disseminated infection with Acanthamoeba in a patient with graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for acute lymphocytic leukemia. The infection involved the brain, skin, and lungs and occurred despite treatment with voriconazole for mold prophylaxis, and did not respond to treatment with multiple other agents reported to have activity again...