Inflammatory response in patients diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis

• Grant number: 23/11109-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Denise de Freitas
• Grantee: Denise de Freitas
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Karina Ramalho Bortoluci ; Mauro Silveira de Queiroz Campos

Abstract

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a rare, high-morbidity infection that develops in the cornea, with the protozoan Acanthamoeba spp. as its etiological agent. Amoebae of this genus are widely distributed in nature, suggesting that humans will probably be exposed to this protozoan at some point in their lives, given that 50 to 100% of the population has serum antibodies specific to Acanthamoeba antigens. Some parts of the eye are considered immunoprivileged and little is known about the immune responses that develop in AK. It has been observed in studies in the literature that macrophages and neutrophils can eliminate trophozoites and cysts from some ocular species of the genus Acanthamoeba, as well as secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) prevents the development of AK. For this reason, this study aims to evaluate in vivo the inflammatory responses developed during AK, including the production of sIgA, and to investigate in vitro the responses and activation of innate immunity inflammatory cells when challenged by Acanthamoeba clinical isolates; as well as verifying whether infections with these Acanthamoeba isolates enable the assembly and activation of inflammasomes in vitro and in vivo. Given that, in the literature, there is no clinical evidence that has carried out these investigations in patients with AK and associated them with the in vitro findings for isolates obtained from the same patients evaluated in vivo. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PRADO-COSTA, BIANCA; PINTO, LARISSA FAGUNDES; FONSECA, MARIANA FERNANDES; DE FREITAS, DENISE; ALVARENGA, LARISSA MAGALHAES. A Synthetic View on Acanthamoeba Keratitis Host Immune Response: Potential Factors Influencing the Development of Chronic Inflammation. CORNEA, v. 44, n. 1, p. 10-pg., 2025-01-01. (23/11109-5)