الفهرس 
Taxonomy of AcanthamoebaOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Acanthamoeba is a genus of free-living amoebae that exists as either active trophozoites or dormant cysts. It is found virtually everywhere, including soil, air, and water. Human infections usually occur through exposure to different water resources, including freshwater, marine water, as well as various domestic water systems such as drinking tap water.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a severe sight-threatening ulceration of the cornea. The early symptoms are typically pain, photophobia and watering. The infection may progress to stromal inflammation, ring ulcers, corneal opacity, hypopyon, corneal perforation, cataract, glaucoma and posterior segment inflammation.
The number of reported cases of AK is increasing worldwide every year, due to increasing CL use for vision correction and cosmetic purposes. Increased awareness combined with early diagnosis of the disease is currently a good pathway towards better outcomes. However, knowledge about the pathogenesis and cellular differentiation processes in Acanthamoeba are still not fully known and urgently require further investigation. They hold the key to improved diagnosis and the development of effective therapeutic approaches.
Wearing CLs is the main risk factor for eye infections, accounting for up to 90% of reported AK cases. Soft CL biomaterial acts as vector transferring microorganisms to the ocular surface, producing corneal inflammation, especially if it is not properly disinfected. Wearing CL alters the normal physiological and metabolic activities of corneal cells, causing chronic hypoxic stress on