Immunization with killed Acanthamoeba culbertsoni antigen and amoeba culture supernatant antigen in experimental Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis

Abstract

Mice immunized with killed (sonicated) Acanthamoeba culbertsoni A-1 antigen displayed marked resistance to intranasal challenge with the amoeba. A primary immunization produced a survival rate of approximately 40%, and survival values of greater than 80% were obtained by multiple immunizations. Similarly mice immunized with fluids from A-1 cultures were highly resistant to infection.

Free‐living amoebae: pathogenicity and immunity

“…Mouse macrophages activated with lymphokines also display amoebicidal properties for N . fowleri (Ferrante 1984). This non-specific immunity may explain the findings that mice treated with agents known to be macrophage activators, e.g., Salmonella enteritidis 1 1 RX or muramyl dipeptide, are resistant to N .…”

“…Studies in mice have demonstrated that it is possible to immunize animals against Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis (Culbertson 1971, Rowan-Kelly & Ferrante 1984. Animals immunized intraperitoneally with sonicated trophozoites of A .…”

“…Studies with both Naegleria and Acanthamoeba have shown that the supernatant from the amoeba cultures could be used as immunizing agents for inducing strong protection against amoebic infection , Rowan-Kelly & Ferrante 1984, Thong et al 1979. Recent studies have established that the culture supernatant antigen is a component of the amoeba surface plasma membrane (Ferrante & Mocatta 1984, Rowan-Kelly & Ferrante 1984, Thong et al 1979. The antisera produced by either mice or rabbits immunized with the amoeba culture supernatant antigen was shown to be opsonic and reactive with the amoeba surface by immunofluorescence and agglutination studies.…”

“…Expression of immunity against pathogenic free living amoebae most likely requires collaboration between cellular components and humoral factors. Antibody in conjunction with complement may directly lyse the amoebae (Ferrante 1981, Ferrante & Rowan-Kelly 1983, Whiteman & Marciano-Cabral 1987 or these factors can act as opsonins in promoting damage of the amoebae by phagocytic cells such as neutrophils and macrophages (Ferrante & Mocatta 1984, Ferrante & Abell 1986, Cleary & Marciano-Cabral 1986a, Ferrante 1984. However, studies with other protozoa such as Trypanosome lewisi and T. musculi have cast some doubt on the in vivo significance of the in vitro lysis (Ferrante & Jenkins 1978, Ferrante 1986b.…”

Anti- Acanthamoeba IgG, IgM, and IgA immunoreactivities in correlation to strain pathogenicity

“…This discrepancy is believed to depend on dierences in the immunity mechanisms between these two amoebae (Ferrante 1991). Anti-Acanthamoeba antibodies apparently block the cytopathic eect of acanthamoebae (Cursons et al 1980a) and highly eective protection against Acanthamoeba meningoencephalitis after immunisation with Acanthamoeba antigen has repeatedly been demonstrated in animal models (Culbertson 1971;Rowan-Kelly and Ferrante 1984). It is unknown, however, whether the immunological status of the patient is also somehow important for the establishment of an Acanthamoeba keratitis.…”