JAC Advance Access originally published online on October 31, 2006
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2007 59(1):122-124; doi:10.1093/jac/dkl451
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Effect of caspofungin on trophozoites and cysts of three species of Acanthamoeba
1 Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, CHU La Milètrie BP 577, 86021 Poitiers Cedex, France 2 Laboratoire de Microbiologie Fondamentale et Appliquée, LCEE, UMR-CNRS 6008 Université de Poitiers, France
Received 2 August 2006; returned 5 September 2006; revised 4 October 2006; accepted 9 October 2006
*Corresponding author. Tel: +33-5-49-44-47-69; Fax: +33-5-49-44-39-08; E-mail: s.bouyer{at}chu-poitiers.fr
Objectives: Amoebic keratitis is difficult to treat, without total efficacy in some patients because of cysts that are less susceptible than trophozoites to the usual treatments. We investigated here the in vitro effectiveness of caspofungin, a new antifungal, against three species of Acanthamoeba.
Methods: Trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii, Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and Acanthamoeba polyphaga were incubated with caspofungin at concentrations varying from 16 to 500 mg/L.
Results: The trophozoites of the three tested species were susceptible in vitro to caspofungin at a concentration of 250 mg/L (206 µM). Furthermore, this drug was cysticidal at a concentration of 500 mg/L (412 µM) against A. castellanii and A. culbertsoni.
Conclusions: Caspofungin could represent, if in vivo studies confirm its efficacy, a new anti-Acanthamoeba compound.
Keywords: Acanthamoeba castellanii , Acanthamoeba culbertsoni , Acanthamoeba polyphaga , keratitis