Acanthamoeba castellanii: in vitro effects of selected biological, physical and chemical factors.

Abstract Trophozoites and cysts of free-living Acanthamoeba castellanii present a serious risk to human health as causative agents of human diseases such as fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and Acanthamoeba keratitis that is reported from various part of the world, also in Poland, with increasing frequency, particularly in the contact lens wearers. The amphizoic amoebae are generally extremely resistant to different chemical agents, however, several strains/isolates within A. castellanii may differ in virulence. Among the features considered as associated with the amoeba pathogenicity, temperature tolerance and resistance to different environmental conditions are reported. In the present study, A. castellanii strain cultured in 26 °C after several year passages were tested for sensibility/tolerance to instant temperature changes as well as exposition to deuterium oxide, D 2 O. Significant decrease of number of viable amoebae during in vitro exposition to D 2 O occurred, but no changes in trophozoites/cysts ratio. The ability of the strain examined to develop in higher temperature may indicate a wide adaptation reserve and its pathogenic potential.