Bacterial adhesion to Conventional and Silicone hydrogel contact lenses

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the adhesion of bacteria to worn silicone hydrogel and conventional soft contact lenses.Methods: Bacterial adhesion experiments / assays were performed on 24 worn and 6 unworn soft contact lenses each of different materials (high- and low- gas permeable lenses) using the strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923.Results: P. aeruginosa adhered in increased number to worn than unworn Lotrafilcon A and conventional lenses. However, a higher number of P. aeruginosa adhered to unworn than worn Lotrafilcon B, the difference in the mean adhesion was not significant (p = 0.66). S. aureus adhered in significantly decreased number to worn Lotrafilcon A, nelfilcon A, nesofilcon A, etafilcon A and omafilcon A (p<0.05); butsignificantly higher number adhered to worn than unworn polymacon (p<0.05). Lens wear had no effect on the adhesion of S. aureus to Lotrafilcon B (p>0.05). The least adhesion of P. aeruginosa to worn contact lenses was seen with polymacon, while S. aureus adhered in least number to worn Lotrafilcon A compared to the other contact lens materials that demonstrated the same trend in adhesion.Conclusion: The higher adhesion of P. aeruginosa to worn lenses is consistent with the claim that it is the most implicated in all culture-positive contact lens related bacterial keratitis. Lens wear has different effects on bacterial adhesion, which may be due to type of lens materials and bacterial species/genera studied.
 Keywords: Silicone hydrogel lenses, conventional lenses, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, bacterial adhesion.