Acanthamoeba and the blood-brain barrier: the breakthrough.
Acanthamoeba granulomatous encephalitis is a rare disease that almost always proves fatal. Death occurs mainly due to neurological complications; however, the pathogenesis and pathophysiology associated with this disease remain incompletely understood. Haematogenous spread is a key step in the development of Acanthamoeba encephalitis, but it is not clear how circulating amoebae breakthrough the blood-brain barrier to gain entry into the central nervous system to produce the disease. This review of the literature describes the parasite factors and immune-mediated mechanisms involved in the blood-brain barrier dysfunction leading to neuropathogenesis.
Khan
Naveed Ahmed
NA
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000502:physiology*; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans