The high percentage of Vermamoeba was found in tap water in Korea. This study investigated whether Vermamoeba induced allergic airway inflammation in mice. We selected 2 free-living amoebas (FLAs) isolated from tap water, which included Korean FLA 5 (KFA5; Vermamoeba vermiformis) and 21 (an homolog of Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/ E2). We axenically cultured KFA5 and KFA21. We applied approximately 1 × 106 to mice’s nasal passages 6 times and investigated their pathogenicity. The airway resistance value was significantly increased after KFA5 and KFA21 treatments. The eosinophil recruitment and goblet cell hyperplasia were concomitantly observed in bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue in mice infected with KFA5 and KFA21. These infections also activated the Th2-related interleukin 25, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokines gene expression in mouse lung epithelial cells. The CD4+ interleukin 4+ cell population was increased in the lung, and the secretion of Th2-, Th17-, and Th1-associated cytokines were upregulated during KFA5 and KFA21 infection in the spleen, lung-draining lymph nodes, and BAL fluid. The pathogenicity (allergenicity) of KFA5 and KFA21 might not have drastically changed during the long-term in vitro culture. Our results suggested that Vermamoeba could elicit allergic airway inflammation and may be an airway allergen.
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First report of biological contaminants in household water in the Philippines and long-term viability of Acanthamoeba species in one-year-old household water sediment Frederick R. Masangkay, Rafaella Maxine N. Almeda, Alianna Louise M. Abustan, Sarah Veronica F. Almendrala, Jan Camille B. Bathan, Jowey Shekainah C. Belandres, Maria Allana Angela M. Buenaventura, Lea May F. Cabansag, Gemina Bienne V. Caralian, Mikhaella Science of The Total Environment.2025; 989: 179818. CrossRef
Presence and diversity of free-living amoebae and their potential application as water quality indicators Areum Choi, Ji Won Seong, Jeong Hyun Kim, Jun Young Lee, Hyun Jae Cho, Shin Ae Kang, Mi Kyung Park, Mi Jin Jeong, Seo Yeong Choi, Yu Jin Jeong, Hak Sun Yu Parasites, Hosts and Diseases.2024; 62(2): 180. CrossRef
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We have reported that a 24 kDa protein (22U homologous; As22U) of Anisakis simplex larvae could elicit several Th2-related chemokine gene expressions in the intestinal epithelial cell line which means that As22U may play a role as an allergen. In order to determine the contribution of As22U to allergic reactions, we treated mice with 6 times intra-nasal application of recombinant As22U (rAs22U). In the group challenged with rAs22U and ovalbumin (OVA), the number of eosinophils in the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was significantly increased, as compared to the group receiving only OVA. In addition, mice treated with rAs22U and OVA showed significantly increased airway hyperresponsiveness. Thus, severe inflammation around the airway and immune cell recruitment was observed in mice treated with rAs22U plus OVA. The levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 cytokines in the BALF increased significantly after treatment with rAs22U and OVA. Similarly, the levels of anti-OVA specific IgE and IgG1 increased in mice treated with rAs22U and OVA, compared to those treated only with OVA. The Gro-α (CXCL1) gene expression in mouse lung epithelial cells increased instantly after treatment with rAs22U, and allergy-specific chemokines eotaxin (CCL11) and thymus-and-activation-regulated-chemokine (CCL17) gene expressions significantly increased at 6 hr after treatment. In conclusion, rAs22U may induce airway allergic inflammation, as the result of enhanced Th2 and Th17 responses.
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Anisakis pegreffii Extract Induces Airway Inflammation with Airway Remodeling in a Murine Model System Jun Ho Choi, Ju Yeong Kim, Myung-hee Yi, Myungjun Kim, Tai-Soon Yong, Kalman Imre BioMed Research International.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
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