title: Role of tear fluid in the growth of gram-negative bacteria on contact lenses.
abstract: Incidents of CLARE (contact lens induced acute red eye) are associated with high numbers of Gram-negative bacteria on the lens surface. This study found that most strains of bacteria implicated in CLARE adhere poorly to the lens surface regardless of whether the lens surface was clean or had been worn in the eye. The high numbers of bacteria on the lens surface result from bacterial growth on the lens surface after adhesion has occurred. Using an artificial tear formulation and real tears, this study demonstrated that the tear fluid provides the necessary nutrients required for bacterial growth.
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Willcox
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003261:Contact Lenses; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D009113:Muramidase / Q000378:metabolism; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D013666:Tears / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D009113:Muramidase; D007781:Lactoferrin