Stopak S S, Roat M I, Nauheim R C, Turgeon P W, Sossi G, Kowalski R P, Thoft R A
Eye & Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1991 Feb;32(2):354-9.
Acanthamoebic keratitis, a potentially devastating infection usually associated with contact lens wear, has been recognized with increasing frequency in recent years. Once the Acanthamoeba organisms gain access to the human cornea, it is not clear which constituents of the corneal milieu provide a substrate for their growth. The growth of Acanthamoeba polyphaga was investigated on cultured monolayers of human corneal epithelial cells, stromal keratocytes, and stromal homogenate suspensions. Growth was determined through organism counts and observation of cytopathic effects on tissue culture dishes. Compared with tissue culture media controls, acanthamoebic growth was supported by cultured epithelial cells and keratocytes but not stromal homogenates. These results suggest that in acanthamoebic keratitis the organisms depend on the cellular components of the cornea as substrates for growth. This in vitro model may also provide further information on the pathogenesis of keratitis and a system for drug sensitivity testing.
棘阿米巴角膜炎是一种通常与佩戴隐形眼镜相关的潜在毁灭性感染，近年来其发病率日益增加。一旦棘阿米巴生物体进入人角膜，尚不清楚角膜环境中的哪些成分可为其生长提供基质。研究了多食棘阿米巴在人角膜上皮细胞、基质角膜细胞和基质匀浆悬浮液的培养单层上的生长情况。通过计数生物体数量和观察对组织培养皿的细胞病变效应来确定生长情况。与组织培养基对照相比，培养的上皮细胞和角膜细胞支持棘阿米巴生长，但基质匀浆不支持。这些结果表明，在棘阿米巴角膜炎中，生物体依赖角膜的细胞成分作为生长基质。这种体外模型也可能提供有关角膜炎发病机制的进一步信息以及药物敏感性测试系统。
