Challenges in Diagnosing Acanthamoebae Infections Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Acanthamoebae are amphizoic protozoa that can be human pathogens, causing diseases such as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis or Acanthamoeba-keratitis; Therefore, it is critical to have a rapid and reliable diagnostic approach; Following two studies with divergent results, we have aimed to assess the development of a time-saving and cost-effective method for medical parasitological diagnostics to identify Acanthamoebae by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry based on their characteristic protein profiles. Several xenically cultured Acanthamoeba strains were applied; To eliminate the impact of proteins derived from nutrition bacteria, UVC inactivation, heat inactivation, and centrifugal membrane filtration were tested. The achieved mass spectra turned out to be not reproducible in our study; In conclusion, the establishment of a method for the characterization of Acanthamoebae by MALDI-ToF MS was not achieved, and therefore, the method represents, to date, no suitable alternative to the real-time polymerase chain reaction in medical diagnostics of Acanthamoebiasis.