acid-phosphatase and Amebiasis

Meningoencephalitis and bronchopneumonia were documented in a patient from Peubla, Mexico. The patient began with symptoms and signs of a common flu and 12 days after the onset of his disease he was admitted to the hospital presenting symptoms and signs of meningoencephalitis. The clinical course evolved into an endocraneal hypertension syndrome with bronchopneumonia, coma and death. Wide-spectrum antibiotics, immunosuppressive and anti-tuberculosis therapy were unsuccessfully administered. Important antecedents were degree I malnutrition and repeated contact with polluted water. Post-mortem autopsy was not performed. Gram-positive cocci were isolated from the spinal fluid 2 days after admission, and then active amebae were isolated from three different samples of the spinal fluid at days 16, 18 and 19 after admission. Such samples were concentrated and inoculated onto specific culture media. Identification of amebae was based on their morphology and biochemistry. All amebae were Hartmannella vermiformis. Amebae were apparently not the cause of the disease and might be considered as an opportunistic colonizer which may have caused the evolution of the disease to become worse.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Adolescent; Amebiasis; Animals; Bronchopneumonia; Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; Fatal Outcome; Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase; Hartmannella; Humans; Isoelectric Focusing; Leucyl Aminopeptidase; Male; Meningoencephalitis; Opportunistic Infections; Phosphoglucomutase

Five Naegleria strains isolated from patients with primary amebic meningoencephalitis and one strain isolated from the water of an artificial canal were investigated. All strains were pathogenic for mice when instilled intranasally and showed cytopathic effects in Vero cell cultures. Their growth characteristics (isolation and subculture at 45 degrees C), serological results, and isoenzyme patterns permitted us to identify the six strains as Naegleria fowleri. This is the first time that Naegleria fowleri has been isolated from patients with primary amebic meningoencephalitis in Mexico.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Adolescent; Amebiasis; Animals; Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; Child; Fresh Water; Humans; Infant; Isoenzymes; Meningoencephalitis; Mexico; Mice; Naegleria fowleri; Vero Cells; Virulence; Water Microbiology

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Administration, Oral; Alkaline Phosphatase; Amebiasis; Amebicides; Animals; Cecum; Emetine; Entamoeba histolytica; Intestine, Large; Intestine, Small; Intestines; Metronidazole; Rats; Virulence

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Amebiasis; Carrier State; Cytoplasmic Granules; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Entamoeba histolytica; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Lysosomes; Microscopy, Electron

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Alkaline Phosphatase; Amebiasis; Animals; Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase; Entamoeba histolytica; Glucose-6-Phosphatase; Glutamate Dehydrogenase; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Liver; Liver Abscess, Amebic; Meningoencephalitis; Necrosis; Nucleotidases; Oxidoreductases; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; Rabbits; Transferases

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Amebiasis; Biochemical Phenomena; Dysentery, Amebic; Intestines; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases