Immunopathogenicity of Acanthamoeba spp. in the Brain and Lungs
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Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
2
Independent Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Fabian Docagne
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(3), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031261
Received: 12 January 2021
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Revised: 24 January 2021
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Accepted: 25 January 2021
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Published: 27 January 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Biochemistry)
Free-living amoebas, including Acanthamoeba spp., are widely distributed in soil, water, and air. They are capable of causing granulomatous amebic encephalitis, Acanthamoeba pneumonia, Acanthamoeba keratitis, and disseminated acanthamoebiasis. Despite low occurrence worldwide, the mortality rate of Acanthamoeba spp. infections is very high, especially in immunosuppressed hosts. Acanthamoeba infections are a medical problem, owing to limited improvement in diagnostics and treatment, which is associated with incomplete knowledge of pathophysiology, pathogenesis, and the host immune response against Acanthamoeba spp. infection. The aim of this review is to present the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of Acanthamoeba spp.–host interactions, including the expression of Toll-like receptors, mechanisms of an immune response, the activity of metalloproteinases, the secretion of antioxidant enzymes, and the expression and activity of cyclooxygenases. We show the relationship between Acanthamoeba spp. and the host at the cellular level and host defense reactions that lead to changes in the selected host’s organs.
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Keywords:
Acanthamoeba spp.; brain; lungs; molecular mechanisms
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kot, K.; Łanocha-Arendarczyk, N.; Kosik-Bogacka, D. Immunopathogenicity of Acanthamoeba spp. in the Brain and Lungs. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 1261. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031261
AMA Style
Kot K, Łanocha-Arendarczyk N, Kosik-Bogacka D. Immunopathogenicity of Acanthamoeba spp. in the Brain and Lungs. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(3):1261. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031261
Chicago/Turabian StyleKot, Karolina, Natalia Łanocha-Arendarczyk, and Danuta Kosik-Bogacka. 2021. "Immunopathogenicity of Acanthamoeba spp. in the Brain and Lungs" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 3: 1261. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22031261
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