Acanthamoeba is a free living protozoa that can cause keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Physiological characteristics of this amoeba are found to have a medical importance in which it can be related to the pathogenicity potential of the organism. This study was carried out to investigate the physiological characteristics of survivability during axenization. Six Acanthamoeba strains from three clinical isolates (HSB 1, HKL 48 and HKL 95) and three environmental isolates (PHS 2, PHS 11 and PHS 15) were used in this study. Axenization test was done by treating cysts with hydrochloric acid (3%) and Page saline containing Gentamicin (100 μg/ml). Cysts were then cultured into PYG enrich media, incubated at 30oC and the presence and proliferation of trophozoites of Acanthamoeba were observed. This study showed that PHS 15, HSB 1, HKL 48 and HKL 95 could be axenized but they have poor proliferation rate in PYG enrich media. The result showed that the difference between both clinical and environmental isolates was observed in two strains; PHS 2 and PHS 11. This indicates that there is a possibility that the physiological traits of strains from both isolates are the same and strains from the environment are able to show the pathogenic potential and capable of causing infection to human.
Keywords: Axenization, Survivability, Acanthamoeba, Clinical and environmental strains
Acanthamoeba is a free living protozoa that can cause keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Physiological characteristics of this amoeba are found to have a medical importance in which it can be related to the pathogenicity potential of the organism. This study was carried out to investigate the physiological characteristics of survivability during axenization. Six Acanthamoeba strains from three clinical isolates (HSB 1, HKL 48 and HKL 95) and three environmental isolates (PHS 2, PHS 11 and PHS 15) were used in this study. Axenization test was done by treating cysts with hydrochloric acid (3%) and Page saline containing Gentamicin (100 µg/ml). Cysts were then cultured into PYG enrich media, incubated at 30oC and the presence and proliferation of trophozoites of Acanthamoeba were observed. This study showed that PHS 15, HSB 1, HKL 48 and HKL 95 could be axenized but they have poor proliferation rate in PYG enrich media. The result showed that the difference between both clinical and environmental isolates was observed in two strains; PHS 2 and PHS 11. This indicates that there is a possibility that the physiological traits of strains from both isolates are the same and strains from the environment are able to show the pathogenic potential and capable of causing infection to human.
Acanthamoeba is a free living protozoa that can cause keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Physiological characteristics of this amoeba are found to have a medical importance and related to the pathogenic potential of the organism. This study was carried out to investigate the physiological characteristic from the aspect of temperature tolerance. Six Acanthamoeba strains from three clinical isolates (HSB 1, HKL 48 and HKL 95) and three environmental isolates (PHS 2, PHS 11 and PHS 15) were used in this study. Test was done by culturing cysts at 30°C, 37°C and 42°C for two weeks and the ability of cysts to change to trophozoites were observed. The result showed all strain was able to change to trophozoites at 30°C and 37°C. However, no trophozoites were observed at 42°
C. This indicate that there is a similarity in the physiological trait of strains from both isolates are the same and strains from the environment are able to show the pathogenic potential thus capable of causing infection to human.
Keywords: Acanthamoeba; temperature tolerance; clinical; environmental isolates.