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Curr Med Chem 2019 Apr 9. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Institute of Applied Ophthalmobiology (IOBA)-University of Valladolid, Valladolid. Spain.

Background: numerous studies have analysed the effect of using different contact lenses (CLs) or care solutions, and suffering discomfort or diseases associated with CL wear on the inflammatory mediator release into the tears.

Objective: to summarize the published data on tear inflammatory molecules related to CL use.

Method: a PubMed-NCBI search has been conducted and those publications which carried out original investigations including the analysis of tear inflammatory mediators in CL wearers were selected. Read More

Infect Disord Drug Targets 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

. Pakistan.

Encephalitis caused by Free-living amoebae (FLA) has a mortality rate of around 95-98%, a fraction that has not changed in the past decades. Pathogenic FLA include Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Naegleria fowleri that are known to target the brain after an extra cerebral infection in the case of Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia mandrillaris, or directly the brain, as in the case of the Naegleria fowleri. The Acanthamoeba spp. Read More

Acta Parasitol 2019 Apr 2. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Islas Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Av. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, Tenerife, Spain.

Introduction: Saline groundwater desalination has recently emerged as an alternative source of irrigation water in arid and semiarid regions due to the gradual reduction in the quantity and quality of conventional water resources for agricultural use. In Fuerteventura Island (Spain), an extremely arid territory in the European Union, brackish water desalination is one of the few available water sources for agricultural production. Very little research has been conducted on the microbiological quality of this water mainly used for irrigation of vegetable crops. Read More

IDCases 2019 12;15:e00524. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., 33612, Tampa, FL, United States.

The free-living amoebae are thermophilic organisms that may play an increasing role among diseases of a warming world. They are uncommon, accidental, yet high consequence pathogens, with differing pathologic syndromes. New prospects for diagnosis and life-saving treatment make early disease recognition imperative. Read More

Viruses 2019 03 30;11(4). Epub 2019 Mar 30.

MEPHI, APHM, IRD 198, Aix Marseille Univ, Department of Medicine, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille, France.

The history of giant viruses began in 2003 with the identification of Since then, giant viruses of amoeba enlightened an unknown part of the viral world, and every discovery and characterization of a new giant virus modifies our perception of the virosphere. This notably includes their exceptional virion sizes from 200 nm to 2 µm and their genomic complexity with length, number of genes, and functions such as translational components never seen before. Even more surprising, possesses a unique mobilome composed of virophages, transpovirons, and a defense system against virophages named virophage resistance element (MIMIVIRE). Read More

Cornea 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Purpose: N-chlorotaurine (NCT) is an anti-infective belonging to the class of chloramines and an investigative drug for the topical treatment of keratoconjunctivitis. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate its efficacy against Acanthamoeba and Candida in corneas infected ex vivo.

Methods: Corneal buttons from porcine eyes were contaminated with Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites or Candida albicans Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures 5982 and incubated for 7 and 3 days, respectively. Read More

Water Res 2019 Jun 19;156:277-286. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.

Recent studies have reported increased levels of Legionella pneumophila (Lp) at points of use compared to levels in primary and secondary components of hot water systems, suggesting possible selection by environmental conditions. In this study, concentrations of Lp in a hospital hot water system were evaluated by profile sampling, collecting successive water samples to determine the prevalence at the faucet (distal) and upstream piping before and after a system intervention to increase temperature. Lp strain diversity was compared between different points of use and different areas of the hot water system (i. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2019 Mar 13;26(1):198-202. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Department of Medical Biology, Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.

Introduction: Various Acanthamoeba species are free-living organisms widely distributed in the human environment. Amphizoic amoebae as facultative parasites may cause vision-threatening eye disease - Acanthamoeba keratitis, mostly among contact lens wearers. As the number of cases is increasing, and applied therapy often unsuccessful, proper hygienic measures and effective contact lenses disinfection are crucial for the prevention of this disease. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2019 Mar 24;200:48-54. Epub 2019 Mar 24.

Division of Molecular Biology & Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Free-living amoebae belong to the genus Acanthamoeba; can feed on microbial population by phagocytosis, and with the capability to act as a reservoir and a vehicle of microorganisms to susceptible host. Therefore, the role of endosymbiosis in the pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba is complex and not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to identify bacterial, fungal, and human adenovirus (HADV) endosymbionts as well as evaluating the endosymbionts role of such organisms in the pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba in keratitis patients living in Iran. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2019 Mar 23;238:111832. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, CMU - Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 11, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The water decoction of Combretum aculeatum aerial parts is traditionally used in Senegal to treat tuberculosis (TB). The extract shows significant antimycobacterial activity in a validated single-cell infection assay.

Aim Of The Study: The main aim of this study was to identify the antimycobacterial compounds in the water decoction of Combretum aculeatum. Read More

Front Microbiol 2019 8;10:430. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IGS, Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory (UMR7256), Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (FR3479), Marseille, France.

With genomes of up to 2.7 Mb propagated in μm-long oblong particles and initially predicted to encode more than 2000 proteins, members of the family display the most extreme features of the known viral world. The mere existence of such giant viruses raises fundamental questions about their origin and the processes governing their evolution. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2019 Apr 19;199:104-110. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. Electronic address:

Association of the water- and foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni with free-living Acanthamoeba spp. trophozoites enhances C. jejuni survival and resistance to biocides and starvation. Read More

Clin Transplant 2019 Mar 21:e13546. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL.

These updated guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation review the diagnosis, prevention and management of tissue and blood protozoal infections in the pre- and post-transplant period. Significant new developments in the field have made it necessary to divide the previous single guideline published in 2013 into two sections, with the intestinal parasites separated from this guideline devoted to tissue and blood protozoa. The current update reflects the increased focus on donor screening and risk-based recipient monitoring for parasitic infections. Read More

J Curr Ophthalmol 2019 Mar 19;31(1):16-23. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, UKS, Homburg, Saar, Germany.

Purpose: To summarize actual literature data on clinical signs, differential diagnosis, and treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis.

Methods: Review of literature.

Results: Clinical signs of acanthamoeba keratitis are in early stages grey-dirty epithelium, pseudodendritiformic epitheliopathy, perineuritis, multifocal stromal infiltrates, ring infiltrate and in later stages scleritis, iris atrophy, anterior synechiae, secondary glaucoma, mature cataract, and chorioretinitis. Read More

Molecules 2019 Mar 19;24(6). Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Chemical Theory of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava, Kalinčiakov 8, 832 32 Bratislava, Slovakia.

On its own, rosmarinic acid possesses multiple biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardioprotective and antitumor properties, and these are the consequence of its ROS scavenging and inhibitory effect on inflammation. In this study, two quaternary phosphonium salts of rosmarinic acid were prepared for the purpose of increasing its penetration into biological systems with the aim of improving its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiprotozoal and antitumor activity. The synthetized molecules, the triphenylphosphonium and tricyclohexylphosphonium salts of rosmarinic acid, exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory effects on the growth of HCT116 cells with IC values of 7. Read More

Viruses 2019 Mar 17;11(3). Epub 2019 Mar 17.

Laboratory of Biology, Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8601, Japan.

The detailed mechanisms of replication initiation, termination and segregation events were not yet known in (APMV). Here, we show detailed bioinformatics-based analyses of chromosomal replication in APMV from initiation to termination mediated by proteins bound to specific DNA sequences. Using GC/AT skew and coding sequence skew analysis, we estimated that the replication origin is located at 382 kb in the APMV genome. Read More

Biocontrol Sci 2019 ;24(1):39-45

Ibaraki University College of Agriculture.

　Legionella spp. exist naturally in association with amoeba in water environments and are known to be the etiological agent of a severe form of pneumonia. To detect diverse Legionella populations in cooling tower water systems, amoebic coculturing was performed for 15 water samples obtained from five different kinds of facilities in six geographically different locations. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 14;9(1):4466. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.

Acanthamoebae success as human pathogens is largely due to the highly resistant cysts which represent a crucial problem in treatment of Acanthamoeba infections. Hence, the study of cyst wall composition and encystment play an important role in finding new therapeutic strategies. For the first time, we detected high activity of cytoskeletal elements - microtubular networks and filamentous actin, in late phases of encystment. Read More

Mini Rev Med Chem 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor. Malaysia.

Pathogenic free-living amoeba are known to cause devastating infection of the central nervous system and are often referred to as "brain-eating amoebae". The mortality rate of more than 90% and free-living nature of these amoebae is a cause for concern. It is distressing that the mortality rate has remained the same over the past few decades highlighting lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry. Read More

Food Sci Nutr 2019 Feb 28;7(2):563-571. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Faculty of Agriculture Department of Feed and Animal Feeding Erciyes University Kayseri Turkey.

L. is known to the public as a chest emollient, mucous expectorant, laxative and is used to prevent maturation of boils and diabetes since ancient times. In this study, we aimed to determine the amebicidal effects against cysts. Read More

Biol Lett 2019 Mar;15(3):20180871

Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh , Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD , UK.

The amoebae (and many other protists) have traditionally been considered as asexual organisms, but suspicion has been growing that these organisms are cryptically sexual or are at least related to sexual lineages. This contention is mainly based on genome studies in which the presence of 'meiotic genes' has been discovered. Using RNA-seq (next-generation shotgun sequencing, identifying and quantifying the RNA species in a sample), we have found that the entire repertoire of meiotic genes is expressed in exponentially growing Acanthamoeba and we argue that these so-called meiotic genes are involved in the related process of homologous recombination in this amoeba. Read More

Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung 2019 Mar 5:1-10. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

3 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences , Ilam, Iran.

In recent years, increasing dust phenomenon in the west of Iran has led to social, economic, and health concerns. This study aimed to represent the existence and genotyping of Acanthamoeba spp. in dust phenomenon in Ilam Province, Iran. Read More

Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung 2019 Mar 5:1-12. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

2 Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University , Budapest, Hungary.

Genus Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic protozoan that is widely distributed in the environment. Within this genus, numerous species are recognized as human pathogens, potentially causing Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). AK is a corneal disease, associated predominantly with contact lens (CL) wear; its epidemiology is related to the specific Acanthamoeba genotypes. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Feb 28;9(1):3122. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia.

Herein, we report green synthesized nanoparticles based on stabilization by plant gums, loaded with citrus fruits flavonoids Hesperidin (HDN) and Naringin (NRG) as novel antimicrobial agents against brain-eating amoebae and multi-drug resistant bacteria. Nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized by using zetasizer, zeta potential, atomic force microscopy, ultravoilet-visible and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopic techniques. The size of these spherical nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 100-225 nm. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2019 Apr 20;199:24-29. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 10 Fredry Street, 61-701, Poznan, Poland.

The genus Acanthamoeba, which may cause different infections in humans, occurs widely in the environment. Lung inflammation caused by these parasites induces pulmonary pathological changes such as pulmonary necrosis, peribronchial plasma cell infiltration, moderate desquamation of alveolar cells and partial destruction of bronchial epithelial cells, and presence of numerous trophozoites and cysts among inflammatory cells. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of plant extracts from Artemisia annua L. Read More

Cornea 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW-Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Purpose: To describe the association of water exposure with contact lens (CL)-related disease and explore the guidelines regarding water exposure to CL wearers, provided by CL manufacturing industry, global public health, and CL-related professional associations.

Methods: A review of the literature was conducted by searching PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science databases up to September 2017 for articles published or translated in English using keywords: contact lens* AND tap water OR swimming OR showering OR water exposure AND microbial keratitis OR Acanthamoeba keratitis OR corneal infiltrate* OR ocular adverse event*. References in all relevant publications were also reviewed. Read More

J Water Health 2019 Feb;17(1):160-171

Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia E-mail:

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in Peninsular Malaysia and to compare different methodologies to detect them from water samples. Water samples were collected from tap water, recreational places, water dispensers, filtered water, etc. and tested for FLA using both cultivation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) via plating assays and centrifugation methods. Read More

Eur J Protistol 2019 Apr 28;68:88-98. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Institute of Tropical Medicine and Specific Prophylaxis, Centre for Pathophysiology, Infectiology, and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Nuclear group I introns are parasitic mobile genetic elements occurring in the ribosomal RNA genes of a large variety of microbial eukaryotes. In Acanthamoeba, group I introns were found occurring in the 18S rDNA at four distinct insertion sites. Introns are present as single elements in various strains belonging to four genotypes, T3 (A. Read More

J Virol 2019 Apr 3;93(8). Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Recent discoveries of new large DNA viruses reveal high diversity in their morphologies, genetic repertoires, and replication strategies. Here, we report the novel features of medusavirus, a large DNA virus newly isolated from hot spring water in Japan. Medusavirus, with a diameter of 260 nm, shows a T=277 icosahedral capsid with unique spherical-headed spikes on its surface. Read More

Arq Bras Oftalmol 2019 Mar-Apr;82(2):103-106. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Fundación Oftalmológica Los Andes, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile.

Purpose: To report our initial experience in the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis with accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis with progressive corneal melting who were treated with accelerated collagen cross-linking.

Results: A total of 6 eyes (5 patients) were reviewed. Read More

Am J Ophthalmol 2019 Feb 2. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Aravind Eye Hospital and Post-Graduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Coimbatore, India 641014.

Purpose: To ascertain the incidence of Acanthamoeba Keratitis, and the co-existence of Acanthamoeba & fungi in microbial keratitis Design; A prospective cross-sectional study METHODS: Patients presenting with stromal keratitis were additionally tested for Acanthamoeba irrespective of the clinical diagnosis. Culture positivity was the gold standard RESULTS: Of the 401 cases included in the study, 40 were positive for Acanthamoeba (10 %), 16 of these 40 were positive for both Acanthamoeba and fungi (4.5% of the Study Group was Acanthamoeba and fungal Keratitis positive); 5/40 for Acanthamoeba and bacteria; 2/40 had triple infection with Acanthamoeba, fungi and bacteria. Read More

Ann Parasitol 2018;64(4):317-322

Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Nowogrodzka 73, 02-018 Warsaw, Poland

Acanthamoeba species are ubiquitous in natural and man-made environments worldwide; some strains are able to colonize human eyes as facultative parasites. It has been shown that environmental and clinical isolates/species of Acanthamoeba vary in their pathogenicity. In this study we examine and compare the in vitro effects of the changing temperature on the population dynamics of subsequent amoebic strains. Read More

Ann Parasitol 2018;64(4):299-308

Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland

Amoebas from the genus Acanthamoeba are cosmopolitan organisms, which can exist as free-living organisms and as parasites within host tissue. Acanthamoeba infection present a serious risk to human health and are characterized by high mortality, especially in immunocompromised individuals. These protozoa are the etiological factors of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) and Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). Read More

Bioengineering (Basel) 2019 Feb 1;6(1). Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro 24210-130, Brazil.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous compartments of distinct cellular origin and biogenesis, displaying different sizes and include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. The EVs have been described in almost every living organism, from simple unicellular to higher evolutionary scale multicellular organisms, such as mammals. Several functions have been attributed to these structures, including roles in energy acquisition, cell-to-cell communication, gene expression modulation and pathogenesis. Read More

Ann Parasitol 2018;64(4):285–297

Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Farah Abad Road, Sari, Iran

Acanthamoeba, an opportunistic protozoan parasite, is distributed in the environment globally, causes serious human infections, including a fatal encephalitis and keratitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and genotyping of Acanthamoeba spp. from different water and soil sources in Iran. Read More

Parasitol Res 2019 Mar 1;118(3):927-933. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

In this work, the presence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in dishcloths collected from human activity related places was evaluated. Once in the laboratory, 6 cm pieces of each dishcloth were cut and washed with Page's Amoeba Solution (PAS) in sterile tubes. After washing, the dishcloth pieces were removed, and the tubes were centrifuged (1500 rpm for 10 min). Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2019 ;1921:191-204

Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Legionella pneumophila resides in multispecies biofilms, where it infects and replicates in environmental protozoa such as Acanthamoeba castellanii. Studies on L. pneumophila physiology and host-pathogen interactions are frequently conducted using clonal bacterial populations and population level analysis, overlooking the remarkable differences in single cell behavior. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2019 ;1921:79-89

Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

The amoeba-resistant bacterium Legionella pneumophila infects humans through aerosols and thereby can cause a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires' disease. In the environment L. pneumophila forms and colonizes biofilms, which usually comprise complex multispecies communities. Read More

Acta Parasitol 2019 Mar 28;64(1):63-70. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Medical School, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

PURPOSE : The present study aimed to investigate the amoebicidal and amoebistatic efects of Artemisia argyi leaf methanolic extract by testing the effects on trophozoites and on cysts. We also determined cytotoxic effect, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities, total phenolic, lavonoid and antioxidative contents of A. argyi. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2019 Jan 25;12(1):58. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Subdepartamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Av. Marathon 1000, Ñuñoa, CP 7780050, Santiago, Chile.

Background: Acanthamoeba 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. Read More

Chemosphere 2019 Mar 11;219:971-980. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) may be a "Trojan Horse" for some waterborne diseases caused by opportunistic pathogens (OPs). In this study, two simulated DWDS inoculated with groundwater were treated with chlorine (Cl) and ultraviolet/chlorine (UV/Cl) respectively to compare their effects on the OPs distributed in four different phases (bulk water, biofilms, corrosion products, and loose deposits) of DWDS. 16S rRNA genes sequencing and qPCR were used to profile microbial community and quantify target genes of OPs, respectively. Read More

Nat Prod Res 2019 Jan 24:1-6. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

a Unité de recherche: Valorisation des Ressources Naturelles, Molécules Bioactives et Analyses Physicochimiques et Biologiques , Université Frères Mentouri , Constantine , Algérie.

This study was performed on the derived fractions [chloroform (FT-C), ethyl acetate (FT-E) and n-butanol (FT-B)] of the 70% ethanol extract prepared from Frankenia thymifolia, endemic to North Africa. The fractions showed high total phenolic and flavonoid contents particularly FT-E. These results agreed with their antioxidant effects. Read More