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Comparative Evaluation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Adhesion to a Poly-(2-Methacryloyloxyethyl
Valerie Harris1, Reed Pifer1, Paul Shannon1
1Alcon Research, LLC, Fort Worth, TX 76134, USA.
Abstract:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common causative agent associated with microbial keratitis. During contact lens wear, pathogens may be introduced into the ocular environment, which might cause adverse events. Lehfilcon A is a recently developed contact lens with a water gradient surface composed of polymeric 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC). MPC is re-ported to impart anti-biofouling properties onto modified substrates. Therefore, in this in vitro experimental study, we tested the capability of lehfilcon A to resist adhesion by P. aeruginosa. Quantitative bacterial adhesion assays using five strains of P. aeruginosa were conducted to compare the adherence properties of lehfilcon A to five currently marketed silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses (comfilcon A, fanfilcon A, senofilcon A, senofilcon C, and samfilcon A). Compared to lehfilcon A, we observed 26.7 ± 8.8 times (p = 0.0028) more P. aeruginosa binding to comfilcon A, 30.0 ± 10.8 times (p = 0.0038) more binding to fanfilcon A, 18.2 ± 6.2 times (p = 0.0034) more binding to senofilcon A, 13.6 ± 3.9 times (p = 0.0019) more binding to senofilcon C, and 29.5 ± 11.8 times (p = 0.0057) more binding to samfilcon A. These results demonstrate that, for various strains of P. aeruginosa, lehfilcon A reduces bacterial adhesion compared to other contact lens materials.
Insights
Lehfilcon A contact lenses demonstrate significantly reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion compared to leading silicone hydrogel lenses. This finding suggests improved resistance to bacterial contamination for contact lens wearers.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomaterials Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a primary cause of microbial keratitis, often linked to contact lens wear.
- Adverse ocular events can occur when pathogens contaminate the ocular environment during contact lens use.
- Lehfilcon A features a unique water gradient surface incorporating 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), known for anti-biofouling properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro efficacy of lehfilcon A contact lenses in resisting Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion.
- To compare the bacterial adhesion properties of lehfilcon A against five commercially available silicone hydrogel contact lens materials.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative bacterial adhesion assays were performed using five distinct strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Adhesion levels on lehfilcon A were directly compared to those on comfilcon A, fanfilcon A, senofilcon A, senofilcon C, and samfilcon A.
Main Results:
- Lehfilcon A exhibited significantly lower Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion compared to all tested silicone hydrogel lenses.
- Specifically, binding was 26.7x higher on comfilcon A, 30.0x on fanfilcon A, 18.2x on senofilcon A, 13.6x on senofilcon C, and 29.5x on samfilcon A.
Conclusions:
- Lehfilcon A demonstrates superior resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhesion in vitro.
- The MPC-based surface of lehfilcon A may offer enhanced protection against bacterial keratitis for contact lens users.
