Acanthamoeba spp. are the causative agents of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), which mainly occurs in contact lens wearers, and of skin lesions, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), and disseminating diseases in the immunocompromised host. AK therapy is complex and irritating for the eye, skin lesions are difficult to treat, and there is no effective treatment for GAE. Therefore, new anti-Acan...

Therapy against Acanthamoeba infections such as Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis (GAE) and Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK), remains as an issue to be solved due to the existence of a cyst stage which is highly resistant to most chemical and physical agents. Recently, the activity of Olive Leaf Extracts (OLE) was demonstrated against Acanthamoeba species. However, the molecules involved in this ac...

These are Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris (the only known species of Balamuthia), Naegleria fowleri (sometimes considered not to be an amoeba at all, but more closely related to Leishmania and Trypanosoma) and Sappinia pedata. They are distinct from the more famous Entamoeba histolytica (an obligate anaerobic parasite which can cause amoebiasis, amoebic dysentery and amoebic liver ab...

The incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a disease associated with contact lens wear, has been in apparent decline with the advent of multipurpose contact lens solutions. The concentrations of the biguanides chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) and particularly polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) included in multipurpose solutions (MPSs) are sublethal for amoebae. We evaluated by flow cytometry the e...

We describe a 66-year-old woman with therapy-refractory cryoglobulinemia treated with rituximab, plasmapheresis, and steroids; a case of fatal meningoencephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba spp. then developed. Such infections are rare and show an unusually rapid course (possibly related to rituximab).

Acanthamoeba spp. are pathogenic protozoa that are uncommonly encountered. They tend to infect immunocompromised patients, most often causing cutaneous lesions and in some instances granulomatous amebic encephalitis, as well as rare instances of dissemination to other organs. We present a case of amebic osteomyelitis of the fibula in a patient with rejection of a transplanted kidney who was chr...

Free living amoebae (FLA) are frequently distributed in environment, such as air, water, dust and soil (1). Some strains of Acanthamoeba spp. are non-pathogen, while others are pathogenic in immunocompromised patients or even healthy persons (2-4). Acanthamoeba encephalitis is rare and less likely to be diagnosed with successful medical intervention. These amebas can carry and transmit importan...

Tubulin is essential to eukaryotic cells and is targeted by several antineoplastics, herbicides, and antimicrobials. We demonstrate that Acanthamoeba spp. are resistant to five antimicrotubule compounds, unlike any other eukaryote studied so far. Resistance correlates with critical amino acid differences within the inhibitor binding sites of the tubulin heterodimers.

Presentamos el caso clínico de una paciente 13 años edad, con antecedente nadar frecuencia en un rio, tratada inicialmente como queratitis bacteriana sin éxito, fue manejada nuestro servicio por acanthamoeba y resolvió éxito su cuadro bajo este régimen tratamiento. Este agente se ha identificado 85% aislamientos biopsias corneales pacientes lentes contacto blandas o semi-blandas, esta patología...