Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a rare disease in which amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba invade the clear portion of the front (cornea) of the eye. It affects roughly 100 people in the United States each year. Acanthamoeba are protozoa found nearly ubiquitously in soil and water and can cause infections of the skin, eyes, and central nervous system.Infection of the cornea by Acanthamoeba is difficult to treat with conventional medications, and AK may cause permanent visual impairment or blindness, due to damage to the cornea or through damage to other structures important to vision. Recently, AK has been recognized as an orphan disease and a funded project, orphan diseases Acanthamoeba keratitis (ODAK), has tested the effects of a diverse range drugs and biocides on AK. Pathogenesis
In the United States, Acanthamoeba keratitis is nearly always associated with soft contact lens use. Acanthamoeba spp. is most commonly introduced to the eye by contact lenses that have been exposed to the organism through the use of contaminated lens solution, using homemade saline-based solution or tap water, or from wearing contact lenses while bathing or swimming. However, it may also be introduced to the eye by exposure to soil or vegetation, or by trauma. In fact, the first case of Acanthamoeba keratitis described was due to ocular trauma. Once on the contact lens, Acanthamoeba is able to survive in the space between the contact lens and the surface of the eye.
Infection is also more commonly seen in tropical or sub-tropical climates.Beyond the route of inoculation into the eye and external risk factors, host factors are also likely to play a significant role in the development of Acanthamoeba keratitis. In fact, studies of contact lens users in the United Kingdom, Japan, and New Zealand found that 400 to 800 per 10,000 asymptomatic contact lens users had lens storage cases contaminated with Acanthamoeba spp. However, the rate of Acanthamoeba keratitis among these patients was only 0.01 to 1.49 per 10,000 contact lens users. Although the exact host factors have not been fully described, it is likely that corneal epithelial defects, tear film composition, eye surface pH, and the level of anti-Acanthamoeba IgA antibodies in the tear film play a role in the development of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Life cycle
Species within the genus, Acanthamoeba, are generally free-living trophozoites. These trophozoites are relatively ubiquitous and can live in, but are not restricted to, tap water, freshwater lakes, rivers and soil. In addition to the trophozoite stage, the organism can also form a double-walled cyst which may also be present in the environment, and can be very difficult to eradicate through medical treatment. Both of these stages are usually non-nucleated and reproduce by the means of binary fission. Diagnosis
Due to the relative rarity of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) compared to other causes of keratitis (bacterial, viral, etc. ), it is often misdiagnosed, especially in the early stages of the disease.