Effects of temperature, amebic strain, and carbohydrates on Acanthamoeba adherence to corneal epithelium in vitro

An in vitro coincubation assay was used to measure adhesion of radiolabeled Acanthamoeba trophozoites to corneal epithelium. Adhesion of amebae to corneal epithelium was higher at 25 degrees C than at 37 or 4 degrees C, did not consistently correlate with the reported pathogenicity of the strain of Acanthamoeba, and was inhibited by mannose and by methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside.