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Parasitology Research 1991The isoenzyme pattern of an Acanthamoeba, stock H-1, isolated from a patient with keratitis (Krankenhaus Heidberg, Hamburg) was compared with that of two strains of A....
The isoenzyme pattern of an Acanthamoeba, stock H-1, isolated from a patient with keratitis (Krankenhaus Heidberg, Hamburg) was compared with that of two strains of A. quina-A. lugdunensis (302-2, 312-1), two stocks of A. lenticulata (45, 89-1) and one strain of A. rhysodes (302-1). The isolated stock showed glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), beta-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase (beta-HBDH), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoenzyme patterns similar to those of A. quina-A. lugdunensis but their acid phosphatase (AP) patterns differed. Furthermore, cyst morphology showed that the patient-isolated stock belongs to group II of the taxonomic classification of Acanthamoeba. This stock was not thermophilic and exhibited non-pathogenic properties after its intranasal instillation into NMRI mice, whereas it killed BALB/c mice. Immunofluorescent studies revealed the presence of antibodies against Acanthamoeba in the patient's serum. Immunoblotting experiments showed that a 45-kDa protein reacted with this serum. Such an antigen was also detected in A. quina-A. lugdunensis and A. lenticulata. Lectin reactions with Canavalia ensiformis, Ricinus communis-120, Lotus tetragonolobus, Ulex europaeus I, Helix pomatia, Arachis hypogaea, Triticum vulgaris, Glycine maxima, Bauhinia purpurea and Mycoplasma gallisepticum demonstrated that only the A. lenticulata stocks could not be distinguished and that the H-1 stock was more similar to the A. lugdunensis 302-2 strain than to the other acanthamoebae.
Topics: Acanthamoeba; Acanthamoeba Keratitis; Adult; Agglutination Tests; Animals; Biological Assay; Cell Nucleus; Cornea; Humans; Isoenzymes; Male; Mice
PubMed: 1924251
DOI: 10.1007/BF00928411 -
Parasitology Research 1988Using agarose isoelectric focusing, the isoenzymes of 19 Acanthamoeba strains were investigated. They had been isolated from nasal mucosa, and the species identification...
Using agarose isoelectric focusing, the isoenzymes of 19 Acanthamoeba strains were investigated. They had been isolated from nasal mucosa, and the species identification based on morphology of the cyst had previously been reported. The identification by isoenzymes differed from that by cystic morphology. Growth at 40 degrees C correlated with the species identification by isoenzymes. Six strains were identified as A. lenticulata, nine as A. mauritaniensis, one as A. rhysodes, and three belonged to the A. lugdunensis-A. quina complex. Several of the nasal A. lenticulta isolates proved to be highly virulent for mice.
Topics: Acanthamoeba; Amebiasis; Animals; Humans; Isoelectric Focusing; Isoenzymes; Mice; Nasal Mucosa; Virulence
PubMed: 3387404
DOI: 10.1007/BF00539451 -
Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago,... Nov 1987Two cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis and infectious crystalline keratopathy, occurring simultaneously, are presented. Three and 12 months after initiating topical...
Two cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis and infectious crystalline keratopathy, occurring simultaneously, are presented. Three and 12 months after initiating topical corticosteroid therapy in cases 1 and 2, respectively, alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus viridans was cultured from each cornea. Topical corticosteroid therapy was initiated for the treatment of an annular stromal opacity, presumably secondary to herpes simplex keratitis. Acanthamoeba was identified in culture following penetrating keratoplasty in case 1, and Acanthamoeba polyphaga, Acanthamoeba rhysodes, and Acanthamoeba castellanii were identified using indirect fluorescent antibody staining in case 2. Histopathologic examination and electron microscopy demonstrated sheets of cocci within stromal lamellae characteristic of infectious crystalline keratopathy and double-walled encysted organisms typical of Acanthamoeba. These case reports alert one to the possibility of developing bacterial keratitis, such as infectious crystalline keratopathy, following the use of topical corticosteroids for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Adult; Amebiasis; Corneal Diseases; Corneal Transplantation; Crystallization; Female; Humans; Keratitis; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Recurrence; Streptococcal Infections
PubMed: 3314824
DOI: 10.1001/archopht.1987.01060110070034 -
Bio Systems 1985Isoenzyme electrophoresis of three different enzyme systems was used to compare 71 strains assigned to the 15 currently recognized species of Acanthamoeba. A... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Isoenzyme electrophoresis of three different enzyme systems was used to compare 71 strains assigned to the 15 currently recognized species of Acanthamoeba. A phylogenetic (cladistic) analysis of the zymograms indicated an arrangement of strains in 15 distinguishable lineages, but not all corresponding to current taxonomic assignments. Five of the groups corresponded to the recognized species A. castellanii, A. culbertsoni, A. griffini, A. lenticulata and A. royreba. But none of these groups consisted of only strains which had been previously assigned to each respective species. The type-equivalent strains for two species, A. hatchetti and A. tubiashi, were not closely aligned to any other strain and thus are considered to be monotypic. Strains of A. triangularis, A. astronyxis and A. palestinensis occurred together in a single group suggesting possible synonymy; however, on morphologic criteria, the strains assigned to these species are readily distinguishable. Strains assigned to A. polyphaga and A. rhysodes were interspersed throughout the other species groups. The strains of these two species were either misidentified or the species could not be recognized. Two groups previously not recognized as unique formed distinctive clusters which could be considered as new species. The analysis also made it possible to place strains which had previously been identified only to genus into species complexes. These results therefore suggest that previous criteria which have been used to classify Acanthamoeba are not adequate for fully resolving taxa at the species level.
Topics: Amoeba; Animals; Electrophoresis; Isoenzymes; Phylogeny; Species Specificity
PubMed: 4084681
DOI: 10.1016/0303-2647(85)90039-5 -
Journal - Association of Official... 1984Contamination by nematodes, amoebae, and bacteria of the genus Salmonella was estimated in a 2-year survey of salad vegetables obtained from wholesale and retail...
Contamination by nematodes, amoebae, and bacteria of the genus Salmonella was estimated in a 2-year survey of salad vegetables obtained from wholesale and retail sources. The vegetables examined were cucumbers, cabbage, lettuce, celery, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, and spinach. Nematode eggs and larvae were recovered by the Nacconol-ether centrifugation method. Some nematode eggs were identified as parasitic Ascaris sp.; the majority of larval nematodes were thought to be soil-dwelling species. Amoebae were recovered by rinsing the vegetables with distilled water, centrifuging the rinse water, and transferring the sediment to agar plates on which a bacterial lawn had previously been grown; trophozoites identified as the potentially pathogenic species--Acanthamoeba polyphaga, A. rhysodes, and A. castellanii--were the most common amoebae recovered on the plates. Salmonella spp. were grown from 4 of 50 samples.
Topics: Amoeba; Animals; Female; Food Contamination; Food Microbiology; Larva; Nematoda; Ovum; Salmonella; Vegetables
PubMed: 6540260
DOI: No ID Found -
Transactions of the Royal Society of... 1984Primary meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri was documented in a 16-year-old male from Mexicali in the state of Baja California in Mexico. In August 1978,...
Primary meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri was documented in a 16-year-old male from Mexicali in the state of Baja California in Mexico. In August 1978, seven days after sustaining moderate head trauma while swimming in a shallow, stagnant irrigation ditch on a hot summer day, the patient presented an acute illness with severe headache, fever and convulsions rapidly progressing into a comatose state. Actively moving trophozoites were observed in the spinal fluid on admission. The patient died shortly after admission to hospital on the third day of symptoms. Post-mortem examination revealed a meningoencephalitis with extensive destruction, haemorrhage and numerous parasites involving structures of the posterior fossa. Immunoperoxidase strains of trophozoites in meningeal and cerebellar tissue were positive for N. fowleri KUL and negative for N. gruberi, N. australiensis and Acanthamoeba rhysodes. This appears to be the first documented case of the disease in Mexico.
Topics: Adolescent; Amebiasis; Humans; Male; Meningoencephalitis; Mexico
PubMed: 6485064
DOI: 10.1016/0035-9203(84)90084-1 -
Annales de Parasitologie Humaine Et... 1980The present study was performed with the help of scanning electron microscope and refers to the external morphology of the cysts of the free-living amoebae. The amoebae... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The present study was performed with the help of scanning electron microscope and refers to the external morphology of the cysts of the free-living amoebae. The amoebae belonging to the genus Naegleria form cysts whose outer layer shows no wrinkles. It can be smooth (N. fowleri) or rough (N. gruberi). The average number of pores varies between 1.2 and 7.2. Their margin can be smooth (N. fowleri) or pierced (N. gruberi). The thickness of the bordering cell wall varies between 0.4 and 1.0 micrometer and that of the pore is about 0.6 micrometer. The cysts of the genera Schizopyrenus, Tetramitus and Didascalus are very small, show no wrinkles in their cell wall and contain no pores. In contrast, cysts in the general Acanthamoeba show their outer layer superficially plugged with a lesser number of wrinkles (A. rhysodes, A. culbertsoni) or with large or deep wrinkles inside their wall (. castellanii, A. polyphaga). There are no pores observed in their cysts. Thus the distinguishing morphological features of the cysts have generated important role in the taxonomy of the amoebae of the limax-group.
Topics: Amoeba; Animals; Hartmannella; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
PubMed: 7469305
DOI: No ID Found -
The Journal of Protozoology May 1980Defined media are described that support 14-20 h generation times for Acanthamoeba castellanii and A. rhysodes in monolayer cultures. The media differ in minor ways from...
Defined media are described that support 14-20 h generation times for Acanthamoeba castellanii and A. rhysodes in monolayer cultures. The media differ in minor ways from previously described media, but the growth rates are greatly improved over previously reported values. Maximum growth rates were observed for A. castellanii in a complex medium containing 21 amino acids, but near-maximum rates could be achieved in relatively simple media containing 9 amino acids. Growth occurred with 6 amino acids, as reported by others, but generation times exceeded 30 h. Amitosis was a common problem during early subcultures in defined media, defined media by glucose and acetate starvation. The rate of encystment varied with cell density at the time of starvation and was optimal at initial densities of 400-800 amebae/mm2.
Topics: Acetates; Amino Acids; Amoeba; Animals; Cell Division; Culture Media; Glucose; Kinetics
PubMed: 7400997
DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1980.tb04684.x -
The Journal of Histochemistry and... Sep 1978The DNA content of five species of Acanthamoeba was determined by flow microfluorometry. Acanthamoeba castellanii (AC-30), acanthamoeba polyphaga (APG and P-23),...
The DNA content of five species of Acanthamoeba was determined by flow microfluorometry. Acanthamoeba castellanii (AC-30), acanthamoeba polyphaga (APG and P-23), acanthamoeba rhysodes, acanthamoeba culbertsoni (A-1), and acanthamoeba royreba were grown in a casitone based medium 24-48 HR. The trophozoites were harvested, and evaluated for DNA-bound fluorescence. All species tested has DNA values between 2.0-5.0 pg/cell. These results placed DNA/cell values of Acanthamoeba slightly lower than DNA/cell values of other eucaryotic cells and much lower than Amoeba proteus values. These results indicate that FMF may be a useful adjunct in distinguishing Acanthamoeba cells from either eucaryotic cells or some other amoeba. However, differences in DNA/cell between species of Acanthamoeba are small and would not be useful in identification of species.
Topics: Amoeba; Animals; Anura; Chickens; Cytological Techniques; DNA; Erythrocytes; Fluorometry; HeLa Cells; Humans; Species Specificity; Urodela
PubMed: 361883
DOI: 10.1177/26.9.361883 -
The Journal of Protozoology Feb 1978A new species of Acanthamoeba was isolated from a culture of an established line of human choriocarcinoma cells. The identification of this strain, originally called the...
A new species of Acanthamoeba was isolated from a culture of an established line of human choriocarcinoma cells. The identification of this strain, originally called the Oak Ridge strain, and the establishment of a new species for it were based on morphologic, serologic, and immunochemical studies. In general, the structure of the trophozoite did not differ significantly from that of other species of Acanthamoeba, except that a body which more closely resembled a centriole than material described previously as centriolar satellites was observed in trophozoites examined with the electron microscope. The dimensions of the trophozoite were the smallest among the species of Acanthamoeba. The cyst was typical of the genus, but differed from those of other species by its smaller size and the presence of numerous ostioles. Studies of the Oak Ridge strain by immunofluorescence using antisera developed against the isolate and Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, A. castellanii, A. polyphaga, A. rhysodes, A. astronyxis, and A. palestinensis revealed the antigenic uniqueness of the Oak Ridge strain. It was demonstrated by immunoelectrophoretic analyses of the soluble proteins of the Oak Ridge strain that shared approximately 1/2 of its antigenic structure with A. castellanii and A. culbertsoni. The antigenic differences of the isolate from other species of Acanthamoeba were deduced from comparison of the antigenic constitution of these species and the Oak Ridge strain with A. culbertsoni and A. castellanii. Although the strain was initially recognized by its cytopathogenicity for cultures, it did not produce acute infections in mice after intranasal inoculation of 1 X 10(4) ameba/mouse. The foregoing results constituted the basis for the establishment of the Oak Ridge strain as a new species, A. royreba sp. n., in the genus Acanthamoeba.
Topics: Amoeba; Animals; Antigens; Cell Line; Choriocarcinoma; Female; Humans; Immunoelectrophoresis; Mice; Microscopy, Electron; Pregnancy
PubMed: 566323
DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1978.tb03854.x