Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Acanthamoeba keratitis due to Acanthamoeba genotype T4 in a non-contact-lens wearer in Turkey

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An otherwise healthy 22-year-old man presented with Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) in the right eye. He was not a contact lens wearer and had no history of corneal trauma. The Acanthamoeba strain isolated from a corneal scraping was identified as morphological group II and genotype T4. Three more Acanthamoeba strains isolated from sites of possible human contact with acanthamoebae in the same geographical region, including a lens storage case, tap water and soil, were subjected to morphological and molecular biological identification. Whereas the strain from tap water also exhibited genotype T4, the two other isolates were identified as morphological group I and genotype T9. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study identifying an AK-causing Acanthamoeba strain in Turkey and the first isolation of genotype T9 in this country.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akisü Ç, Baka M, Durak I, Orhan V (1999) A case of Acanthamoeba keratitis: light and electron microscope findings. Acta Parasitol Turc 23:340–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Akyol N, Aşçı Z, Kükner S (1996) Acanthamoeba keratitis: the first reported case from Turkey. Ophtal Practice Asia Ed 2:46–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker J, Brown MR (1994) Trojan horses of the microbial world: protozoa and the survival of bacterial pathogens in the environment. Microbiology 140:1253–1259

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Booton GC, Kelly DJ, Chu Y-W, Seal DV, Houang E, Lam DSM, Byers TJ, Fuerst PA (2002) 18S ribosomal DNA typing and tracking of Acanthamoeba species isolates from corneal scrape specimens, contact lenses, lens cases, and home water supplies of Acanthamoeba keratitis patients in Hong Kong. J Clin Microbiol 40:1621–1625

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Jonckheere JF (1991) Ecology of Acanthamoeba. Rev Infect Dis 13:385–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Demirci G, Ay GM, Karabas LV, Altintas O, Tamer GS, Caglar Y (2006) Acanthamoeba keratitis in a 5-year-old boy without a history of contact lens usage. Cornea 25:356–358

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gast RJ (2001) Development of an Acanthamoeba-specific reverse dot-blot and the discovery of a new ribotype. J Eukaryot Microbiol 48:609–615

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gast RJ, Ledee DR, Fuerst PA, Byers TJ (1996) Subgenus systematics of Acanthamoeba: four nuclear 18S rDNA sequence types. J Eukaryot Microbiol 43:498–504

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray TB, Cursons RT, Sherwan JF, Rose PR (1995) Acanthamoeba, bacterial, and fungal contamination of contact lens storage cases. Br J Ophthalmol 79:601–605

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hewett MK, Robinson BS, Monis PT, Saint CP (2003) Identification of a new Acanthamoeba 18S rRNA gene sequence type, corresponding to the species Acanthamoeba jacobsi Sawyer, Nerad and Visvesvara, 1992 (Lobosea: Acanthamoebidae). Acta Protozool 42:325–329

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiti K, Faschinger C, Haller-Schober EM, Hiti H, Walochnik J, Aspöck H (2000) Acanthamoeba in asymptomatic contact lens wearers? Examination of storage-boxes. Spektrum Augenheilkd 14:163–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horn M, Wagner M (2004) Bacterial endosymbionts of free-living amoebae. J Eukaryot Microbiol 51:509–514

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horn M, Fritsche TR, Gautom RK, Schleifer K, Wagner M (1999) Novel bacterial endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba spp. related to the Paramecium caudatum symbiont Caedibacter caryphilus. Environ Microbiol 1:357–367

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hugo ER, Stewart VJ, Gast RJ, Byers TJ (1992) Purification of amoeba mtDNA using the UNSET procedure. In: Soldo AT, Lee JJ (eds) Protocols in Protozoology. Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas, PD-7.1

  • Khan NA, Paget TA (2002) Molecular tools for speciation and epidemiological studies of Acanthamoeba. Curr Microbiol 44:444–449

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan NA, Jarroll EL, Paget TA (2002) Molecular and physiological differentiation between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Acanthamoeba. Curr Microbiol 45:197–202

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kilic A, Tanyuksel M, Sissons J, Jayasekera S, Khan N (2004) Isolation of Acanthamoeba isolates belonging to T2, T3, T4, and T7 genotypes from environmental samples in Ankara, Turkey. Acta Parasitol 49:246–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Kilvington S, White DG (1994) Acanthamoeba: biology, ecology and human disease. Rev Med Microbiol 5:12–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Kilvington S, Gray T, Dart J, Morlet N, Beeching JR, Frazer DG, Matheson M (2004) Acanthamoeba keratitis: the role of domestic tap water contamination in the United Kingdom. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 45:165–169

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Moon EK, Yu HS, Jeong HJ, Hong YC, Kong HH, Chung DI (2005) Evaluation of taxonomic validity of four species of Acanthamoeba: A. divionensis, A. paradivionensis, A. mauritaniensis, and A. rhysodes, inferred from molecular analyses. Korean J Parasitol 43:7–13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maghsood AH, Sissons J, Rezaian M, Nolder D, Warhurst D, Khan NA (2005) Acanthamoeba genotype T4 from the UK and Iran and isolation of the T2 genotype from clinical isolates. J Med Microbiol 54:755–759

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marciano-Cabral F, Cabral G (2003) Acanthamoeba spp. as agents of disease in humans. Clin Microbiol Rev 16:273–307

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Page FC (1991) Nackte Rhizopoda. In: D. Matthes (eds) Protozoenfauna, Band 2. G. Fischer, Stuttgart-New York, 297 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Pussard M and Pons R (1977) Morphologie de la paroi kystique et taxonomie du genre Acanthamoeba (Protozoa, Amoebidae). Protistologica 8:557–598

    Google Scholar 

  • Saygı G (1979) Erzurum’da topraktan Acanthamoeba türünün soyutlanması. T Parazitol Derg 2:109–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Saygı G, Polat Z (2003) Özgür yaþayan amipler ve neden oldukları parazitozlar. Primer amibik meningoensefalit-Granülomatöz Amibik Ensefalit-C.Ü. Tıp Fak Derg 25:140–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Saygı G, Akın Z, Tecer H (2000) Isolation of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria spp. from soil and thermal water specimens in Sivas. Acta Parasitol Turc 24:237–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroeder JM, Booton GC, Hay J, Niszl IA, Seal DV, Markus MB, Fuerst PA, Byers TJ (2001) Use of subgenic 18S ribosomal DNA PCR and sequencing for genus and genotype identification of acanthamoebae from humans with keratitis and from sewage sludge. J Clin Microbiol 39:1903–1911

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schuster FL, Visvesvara GS (2004) Free-living amoebae as opportunistic and non-opportunistic pathogens of humans and animals. Int J Parasitol 34:1001–1027

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seal D (2003) Treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 1:205–208

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S, Garg P, Rao GN (2000) Patient characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of non-contact lens related Acanthamoeba keratitis. Br J Ophthalmol 84:1103–1108

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma S, Pasricha G, Das D, Aggarwal RK (2004) Acanthamoeba keratitis in non-contact lens wearers in India: DNA typing-based validation and a simple detection assay. Arch Ophthalmol 122:1430–1434

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spanakos G, Tzanetou K, Miltsakakis D, Patsoula E, Malamou-Lada E, Vakalis NC (2006) Genotyping of pathogenic Acanthamoebae isolated from clinical samples in Greece—report of a clinical isolate presenting T5 genotype. Parasitol Int 55:147–149

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasan M, Burman S, George C, Nirmalan PK (2003) Non-contact lens related Acanthamoeba keratitis at a tertiary eye care center in south India: Implications for eye care programs in the region. Med Sci Monit 9:CR125–129

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stothard DR, Schroeder-D JM, Awwad MH, Gast RJ, Ledee DR, Rodriguez-Zaragoza S, Dean CL, Fuerst PA, Byers TJ (1998) The evolutionary history of the genus Acanthamoeba and the identification of eight new 18S rNA gene sequence types. J Eukaryot Microbiol 45:45–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsvetkova N, Schild M, Panaiotov S, Kurdova-Mintcheva R, Gottstein B, Walochnik J, Aspöck H, Lucas MS, Muller N (2004) The identification of free-living environmental isolates of amoebae from Bulgaria. Parasitol Res 92:405–413

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Uzel A, Ucar F, Hames-Kocabas EE (2005) Prevalence of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in water distribution systems in Izmir province of Turkey. APMIS 113:649–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walochnik J, Haller-Schober E, Kolli H, Picher O, Obwaller A, Aspöck H (2000) Discrimination between clinically relevant and non-relevant Acanthamoeba strains isolated from contact lens-wearing keratitis patients in Austria. J Clin Microbiol 38:3932–3936

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walochnik J, Michel R, Aspöck H (2004) A molecular biological approach to the phylogenetic position of the genus Hyperamoeba. J Eukaryot Microbiol 51:433–444

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty, Aydin, Turkey

    Hatice Ertabaklar & Sema Ertuğ

  2. Department of Microbiology, Yeşilyurt State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey

    Meral Türk

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey

    Volkan Dayanir

  4. Department of Medical Parasitology, Clinical Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1095, Vienna, Austria

    Julia Walochnik

Authors
  1. Hatice Ertabaklar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Meral Türk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Volkan Dayanir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sema Ertuğ
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Julia Walochnik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Walochnik.

Additional information

The authors declare that all experiments performed comply with the current laws of Turkey and Austria.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ertabaklar, H., Türk, M., Dayanir, V. et al. Acanthamoeba keratitis due to Acanthamoeba genotype T4 in a non-contact-lens wearer in Turkey. Parasitol Res 100, 241–246 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0274-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0274-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation