• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2022

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a rare ocular disease, but it is a painful and sight-threatening infectious disease. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment are necessary to prevent serious complications. While AK is frequently diagnosis via several PCR assays or Acanthamoeba-specific antibodies, a more specific and effective diagnostic method is required. This study described the production of a polyclonal peptide antibody against the periplasmic binding protein (PBP) of A. castellanii and investigated its diagnostic potential. Western blot analysis showed that the PBP antibody specifically reacted with the cell lysates of A. castellanii. However, the PBP antibody did not interact with human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells and the other 3 major causative agents of keratitis. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) results revealed the specific detection of A. castellanii trophozoites and cysts by PBP antibodies when A. castellanii were co-cultured with HCE cells. PBP antibody specificity was further confirmed by co-culture of A. castellanii trophozoites with F. solani, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa via ICC. The PBP antibody specifically reacted with the trophozoites and cysts of A. polyphaga, A. hatchetti, A. culbertsoni, A. royreba, and A. healyi, thus demonstrated its genus-specific nature. These results showed that the PBP polyclonal peptide antibody of A. castellanii could specifically detect several species of Acanthamoeba, contributing to the development of an effective antibody-based AK diagnostics.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 1996

The taxonomic validity of morphological group III Accnthamoeba app. is uncertain. In the present study. six type strains of group III Aconthamoeba spry. , A. culbertsoni, A. heniyi, A. pustulosc, A. palestinensis, A. royrebn and A. lenticulnto were subjected for the evaluation or their taxonomic validity by comparison of the isoeneyme patterns by isoelectic focusing on polyacrylamide gels, mitochondrial DNA (Mt DNA) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) . and small subunit ribosomal DNA (ssu rDNA) PCR-RFLP patterns. The Mt DNA RFLP patterns were heterogeneous between the species. The type strains of A. pclestinensls and A. pustulosc showed almost identical patterns of isoenrymes and rDNA PCR-RFLP with an estimated sequence divergence of 2.6%. The other species showed heterogeneous patterns of isoenxymes and rDNA PCR- RFLP. It is likely that A. pustuLosc is closely related with A. palestinensis and that the former may be regarded as a junior synonym of the latter.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.239-248
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• 1993

The purpose of this observation was to investigate the natural killer cell activities in mice Infected with pathogenic free-living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri and Acanthomoeba culbertsoni according to the infection doses, and infected with non-pathogenic free-living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. The natural killer cell activity was examined by means of target binding capacity, active NK cell and maximum recycling capacity of the mice after inoculating free-living amoebae with low and high doses. The mice infected with 1 103, 1 105 A. culbertsoni trophozoites showed mortality rates of 6.9% and 65.5%, respectively. The mice infected with 1 104, 1 105 N.fowleri trophozoites showed mortality rates of 5.9% and 72.2%, respectively. The NK cell activities in all experimental groups increased significantly on day 1 after infection as compared with control group, and then remarkably declined thereafter, there was no difference of the cytotoxic activity of the NK cells In mice among inoculation doses of pathogenic free-living amoebae. The target binding capacities of NK cells and percentages of activated NK cells in mice Infected with pathogenic free-living amoebae were slgrlificantly Increased a day after Infection, as compared Uth control group. There was no difference of the maximal recycling capacities of NK cells in all experimental groups as compared Uth control group. There was significant difference in the cytotoxic activity and single cell cytotoxlcity of NK cells between the experimental groups infected with pathogenic free-living amoebae and that infected with non-pathogenic free-living amoebae.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 1996

Twelve isolates of Accnthamoebc app. assigned to either A. castellanii or A. poIMphoSa, and type strains of A. culbefsoni, A. henIWi, A. pqkestinefiE, and A. astronyxi,s were examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of a conserved region of small subunit ribosomal RMh gene (ssu rDNA) amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products of the isolates measured approximately 910-930 bp, except for that of A. astronyxis which was extraordinarily long, approximately 1,170 bp. Average of estimated sequence divergence of the amplified DNA among the isolates assigned to A. castellanii was 9.8% whereas that among the isolates assigned to A. polvphusn 9.6%. The maximum intraspecific sequence divergence among the isolates assigned to A. costellanii was observed between the Chang and Ma strains (17.3%) while that among the isolates assigned to A. poIWphosa was observed between KA/S3 and KA/S7 strains (16.1%). The both maximum sequence divergences were much greater than the minimum interspecific sequence divergence between A. cnstellnnii and A. polwphasa (2.6%) which appeared between the Castellani (or CCAP 1501/12 g) and KA/S3 strains. The PCR-RFLP patterns of A. culbertsoni, A. healyi, A. palestinensis, and A. ostronvxis were quite diverse from one another and from those of isolates assigned to either A. castellanii or A. polyphoga. It is suggested that taxonomic validity of the isolates assigned to either A. castellnnii or A. polyphoga should be reevaluated.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.69-80
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• 1998

Subgenus classification of Acanthcmoeba remains uncertain. Twenty-three reference strains of Acanthnmoeba including 18 (neo)type-strains were subjected for classification at the subgenus level by riboprinting, PCR/RFLP analysis of 185 rRNA gene (rDNA) . On the dendrogram reconstructed on the basis of riboprint analyses, two type- strains (A. astronwxis and A. tubinshi) of morphological group 1 diverged early from the other strains and were quite distinct from each other. Four type-strains of morphological group 3. A. culbertsoni, A. polestinensis, A. healyi were considered taxonomically valid, but A. pustulosn was regarded as an invalid synonym of A. pclestinensis. Strains of morphological group 2 were classified into 6 subgroups. Among them, A. giulni which has an intron in its 185 rDNA was the most divergent from the remaining strains. Acanthcmoebc ccstellanii Castellani, A. quinc Vil3, A. Iugdunensis L3a. A. poIyphage Jones, A. trinngularis SH621, and A. cqstellanii Ma strains belonged to a subgroup, A. castellanii complex. However, A. quinc and A. Lugnunensis were regarded as synonyms of A. ccstellanii. The Chang strain could be regarded as A. hatchetti. Acanthcmoebo nauritaniensis, A. niuionensis, A. paranivionensis could be considered as synonyms of A. rhwsodes. Neff strain was regarded as A. polyphage rather than as A. castellanii. It is likely that riboprinting can be applied for rapid identification of Acnnthcmoebc isolated from the clinical specimens and environments.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 1998

The pathogenic potential of Acnnthamoebc strains was evaluated by experimental infection of murine AIDS (MAIDS) model. C57BL/6 mice were induced to immunocompromized state by intraperitoneal injection of LP-BM5 MuLV and revealed the typical splenomegalty and Iymphatic enlargement of axillar and inguinal regios on necropsy 4 weeks after viral infection. Although there was no significant difference in the mortality rate of MAIDS mouse according to the culture temperature, it was very different in the mortality rate from strain to strain of Accnthnmoebc. A. henIHi OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a GAE patient showed !he highest mortality rate and A. culbertsoni A-1 strain from tissue culture was the second. KA/S3 and KA/S2 strains isolated from soil revealed very low virulence. The mice infected by intranasal inoculation of Acanthnmoebc showed relatively chronic course than intravenous inoculation. The gross findings of lungs and brains from infected mice were variable among mice. On the microscopic observations, the lungs showed much more severe inflammation and necrosis than the brains microscopically. This MAIDS model would be useful to study the opportunistic protozoan infections of AIDS patients. In the light of these results. the pathogenic potential and the virulence of Acnnthamoebo may be determined genetically.