Contact lens wear is intrinsically inflammatory

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Immunology
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Ocular inflammation during contact lens wear is often linked to severe complications like microbial keratitis.
• Subtle inflammatory mechanisms may occur even in uncomplicated contact lens wear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if uncomplicated contact lens wear is intrinsically inflammatory.
• To evaluate contact lens wear against classical (redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of function) and sub-clinical (cellular, biochemical reactions) definitions of inflammation.

Main Methods:

• Assessment of clinical signs of inflammation (redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of function) in contact lens wearers.
• Evaluation of sub-clinical inflammatory markers (cellular and biochemical reactions) in the anterior eye.
• Comparison of findings between hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lens wear.

Main Results:

• Uncomplicated hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lens wear meet classical and sub-clinical criteria for inflammation.
• This indicates that contact lens wear is intrinsically inflammatory.
• The chronic, low-grade inflammation ('para-inflammation') may be a protective immune response.

Conclusions:

• Contact lens wear induces a state of 'para-inflammation' in the anterior eye.
• This 'para-inflammation' acts as a protective mechanism, maintaining a heightened immune alert state.
• Understanding this inflammatory status can guide the development of safer contact lenses and therapeutic strategies.