Molecular and morphological characterization of Acanthamoeba isolated from corneal scrapes and contact lens wearers in Argentina

Casero, Rodolfo; Mongi, Florencia; Laconte, Laura; Rivero, Fernando; Sastre, Darío; Teherán, Aníbal A.; Herrera, Giovanny; Ramírez, Juan David

doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2017.06.031

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…We genotyped 69.1% of the Acanthamoeba strains isolated at the ISPCh between 2005 and 2016, while the rest failed to revive after freezing. T4 was the predominant genotype found in Chilean isolates (73 out of 76 patients), as reported worldwide [10, 12, 17, 22–24]. T4 is also the predominant genotype in environmental samples, followed by T5, both in Chile and other countries [9, 25, 26].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Genotypic diversity of Acanthamoeba strains isolated from Chilean patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis

et al. 2019

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BackgroundAcanthamoeba spp. are the causative agents of a severe keratitis occurring mainly in contact lens wearers. The genus comprises more than 24 species that are currently divided into 20 different genotypes (T1-T20) according to sequence variations in the 18S rRNA gene. The objective of this study was to identify the genotypes and sub-genotypes of Acanthamoeba isolates collected at the Parasitology Laboratory of the Public Health Institute of Chile, the only laboratory in the country where Acanthamoeba screening is performed. This is the first report of genotypic identification of clinical isolates of Acanthamoeba in Chile and one of the few in South America.ResultsIn this study, 114 Acanthamoeba isolates from 76 Acanthamoeba keratitis patients, obtained between 2005–2016, were genotyped. T4 was the predominant genotype; T2 and T11 genotypes, which are scarcely reported worldwide, were also identified in Chilean patients (one and two patients, respectively). This is the first report of T2 and T11 genotypes isolated from Acanthamoeba keratitis patients in South America. It is also the first report of the T2 genotype circulating in this continent. Analysis of the diagnostic fragment 3 region of the 18S rRNA gene showed 24 T4 variants, with a predominance of the sub-genotype T4/A, followed by T4/B, T4/G, T4/C and T4/D. Bayesian analysis revealed three groups among the T4 variants: two well supported groups that included 12 and 7 sub-genotypes, respectively, and a weakly supported group that included 5 sub-genotypes. Most of the predominant T4 sub-genotypes belonged to the same group, which included 71.3% of the patients, while some minority variants lied mainly in the other two clusters.ConclusionsT2, T4 and T11 genotypes were predominantly isolated from the Acanthamoeba keratitis patients in Chile. Chilean predominant T4 sub-genotypes, which have also been reported worldwide, formed a separate cluster of the minority T4 variants. This study provides useful information about the predominant genotypes and subgenotypes that would be useful in selecting suitable strains to develop immunological and/or molecular diagnostic assays in Chile.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3302-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Genotypic diversity of Acanthamoeba strains isolated from Chilean patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis

et al. 2019

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“…67 The higher number of CL wearers around the world is leading to an increase in AK cases. 30 In developed countries, this is often caused by contamination during cleaning procedures. 51 Additionally, the higher incidence during warmer periods of the year (i.e., summer) is associated with an increased number of amoebae and more prolonged water activities.…”

Section: Incidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…126 Early diagnosis and the increased awareness of eye care professionals represent a good combination for better results. 30,53,124,150 Visual prognosis is affected by the corneal positioning of the inflammation, the severity of the disease when diagnosed 14 and the duration of treatment with effective therapies. 3,13 When corneal inflammation is located centrally, the patient may suffer from loss of stereopsis, 14 producing difficulty in depth perception.…”

Section: Visual Prognosismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Human contamination is more likely to occur through CLs, cases and solutions infected with this free‐living amoeba 28,29 . When Acanthamoeba is in contact with the cornea through contaminated CLs or in an immunocompromised host, it can be considered a pathogenic microorganism 30 …”

Section: Acanthamoebamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although several reports indicate that females have a greater risk of contracting AK due to lack of care and disregard for clinical evaluation 28,73,88,89 , one study found that males are at a higher risk of contracting AK due to poorer hygiene compliance 67 . The higher number of CL wearers around the world is leading to an increase in AK cases 30 . In developed countries, this is often caused by contamination during cleaning procedures 51 .…”

Section: Acanthamoeba Keratitismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acanthamoeba keratitis: a review of biology, pathophysiology and epidemiology

Lacerda

Lira

2020

Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic

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Acanthamoeba keratitis is an infection caused by a unicellular protozoan of the genus Acanthamoeba that is universally widespread. Until now, most cases were reported in contact lens wearers, although it is also a reality for non‐wearers, mostly connected to corneal trauma. There is also a variation in incidence regarding the aetiology of the disease between developed and developing countries. Purpose This work is based on a literature review, and the main goal is to deepen the knowledge about Acanthamoeba keratitis, presenting the main risk factors and focusing on prevention actions for this type of corneal infection since the treatments are not always effective. It targets specialists in visual health to strengthen their knowledge in this area, as well as to allow them to better inform their patients about hygiene care, appropriate measures of disinfection and ways to minimise the risk of infection. At this stage, it is important to highlight the essential role that practitioners play in fitting, monitoring and following‐up patients to minimise the danger of infection. Recent findings It is well recognised that corneal trauma facilitates invasion by leaving an open door for microorganisms to penetrate the cornea. In addition to trauma, risk factors are mostly associated with patients’ behaviours, such as interaction of contact lenses with contaminated water in the shower, swimming pools and beaches, etc., lack of hygiene habits with contact lenses and respective cases, and the use of ineffective disinfecting solutions. The fact that a disinfecting solution is not completely effective against trophozoites and/or cysts, both forms of Acanthamoeba’s lifecycle, can cause the infection since one cyst alone leads to the emergence of a whole new population of Acanthamoeba. Summary It is necessary to reduce the risk of infection and, beyond the need to promote patient education to encourage correct CL hygiene behaviours, it should also be highlighted that there is an urgent need to enhance the efficacy of CL disinfection systems against all strains and both stages of Acanthamoeba through the creation of standardised methods. The ease of purchasing CLs without any supervision must also be considered a concern, and, in the near future, it is also important to develop and implement effective diagnostic methods and treatments for Acanthamoeba keratitis.

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Identification of T3 and T4 Genotypes of Acanthamoeba sp. in Dust Samples Isolated from Air Conditioning Equipment of Public Hospital of Ituiutaba-MG

et al. 2020

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Molecular and morphological characterization of Acanthamoeba isolated from corneal scrapes and contact lens wearers in Argentina

Cited by 16 publications

References 28 publications

Genotypic diversity of Acanthamoeba strains isolated from Chilean patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis

Genotypic diversity of Acanthamoeba strains isolated from Chilean patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis

Acanthamoeba keratitis: a review of biology, pathophysiology and epidemiology

Identification of T3 and T4 Genotypes of Acanthamoeba sp. in Dust Samples Isolated from Air Conditioning Equipment of Public Hospital of Ituiutaba-MG

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