Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae Isolated From Contact Lenses of Keratitis Patients

• Main Authors: Elham HAJIALILO, Maryam NIYYATI, Mohammad SOLAYMANI, Mostafa REZAEIAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2015-12-01
• Series: Iranian Journal of Parasitology
• Subjects: Keratitis; Acanthamoeba; Vermamoeba
• Online Access: https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/652

Background: Free-living amoeba (FLA)-related keratitis is a progressive infection of the cornea with poor prognosis. The present study aimed to investigates the con­tact lenses of patients with keratitis for pathogenic free-living amoebae. Methods: Overall, 62 contact lenses and their paraphernalia of patients with kerati­tis cultured and tested for the presence of free-living amoebae using morphological criteria. Unusual plates including plates containing mix amoebae and Vermamoeba were submitted to molecular analysis. Results: Out of 62 plates, 11 revealed the outgrowth of free living amoeba of which 9 were Acanthamoeba, one plates contained mix amoebae including Acan­thamoeba and Vermamoeba and one showed the presence of Vermamoeba. These two latter plates belonged to patients suffered from unilateral keratitis due to the mis­used of soft contact lenses. One of the patients had mix infection of Acanthamoeba (T4) and V. vermiformis meanwhile the other patient was infected with the V. vermiformis. Conclusion: Amoebic keratitis continues to rise in Iran and worldwide. To date, various genera of free-living amoebae such as Vermamoeba could be the causative agent of keratitis. Soft contact lens wearers are the most affected patients in the country, thus awareness of high-risk people for preventing free-living amoebae re­lated keratitis is of utmost importance.