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Effect of vancomycin on Staphylococcus epidermidis adherence to poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lenses

Taraprasad Das1, Savitri Sharma, Adiraju V Muralidhar

  • 1Smt Kanuri Santhama Retina Vitreous Service, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. tpd@lvpeye.stph.net

Abstract

Insights

Vancomycin treatment effectively reduced Staphylococcus epidermidis adherence to poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lenses (IOLs) in laboratory settings. Further research into sustained-release antibiotic devices may help prevent post-cataract infections.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Microbiology
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Post-cataract endophthalmitis is a severe complication.
  • Bacterial adherence to intraocular lenses (IOLs) contributes to infection.
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis is a common pathogen in ocular infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate Staphylococcus epidermidis adherence to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) intraocular lenses (IOLs) at varying bacterial concentrations.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of vancomycin treatment in reducing bacterial adherence to IOLs.

Main Methods:

  • Two phases of experiments were conducted using PMMA IOLs.
  • Phase I involved soaking IOLs in Staphylococcus epidermidis solutions (10^8 cfu/mL and 10^3 cfu/mL), followed by rinsing or vortexing.
  • Phase II assessed the impact of vancomycin (10 mg/mL) treatment on bacterial adherence, applied before and after bacterial exposure.

Main Results:

  • Staphylococcus epidermidis demonstrated adherence to all parts of the PMMA IOLs, irrespective of the initial bacterial load (10^8 cfu/mL and 10^3 cfu/mL).
  • Vancomycin treatment significantly reduced the adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis to the IOLs.

Conclusions:

  • Pre-treatment of IOLs with vancomycin or other antibiotics can decrease bacterial adherence.
  • Development and study of sustained-release antibiotic-eluting devices are recommended to minimize post-cataract endophthalmitis incidence.

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